Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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March 25, 2020Today we celebrate the Annunciation.
This when the Angel Gabriel came and told Mary that she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Mary had to give her consent, her ‘yes.’ Her ‘yes’ gave birth to Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, who would redeem us. We cannot imagine Our Blessed Mother saying no. Yet it was her free will to say yes or no.
The Psalm response today is, “Here I am Lord I come to do Your will.” Basically, this is what Mary said by her yes. She consented to do His Will. We also, by the virtue of our Baptism, have to do His will by saying yes like Mary. We have to also give birth to Jesus. Obviously, we will not be giving birth physically as Mary did, but we must bring Him alive to others and in the hearts of others. Here is one example of how to say, here I am Lord I come to do your will.
You may have seen the movie a few years ago, ‘God is not Dead.’ In case you have not, the movie is about a college student whose philosophy professor wanted all the students in his class to agree and say God is dead. There was one college student who would not say God is dead, but rather insist that God is not dead. Therefore, he was given a punishment assignment to prove God is alive. By his hard work to stand up for God, through all he was doing to prove this to his professor, and all the ridicule he endured, a Chinese person was converted, a Muslim woman was converted even though she lost her family, and even the professor was converted (right before he died). The student said yes and gave birth to Jesus. We must do the same.
There are instances and situations every day in our lives, all day long, where we have the chance to bring Jesus to people. We often go through our day without thinking about doing this. Imagine if we took every opportunity to make Jesus alive to the clerk at the store, someone crossing the street, the person cutting us off in traffic, the people we just happen to pass by, and every encounter we have. We do not necessarily have to preach about Jesus, but the actions of love, an offer to help someone, a response with patience when frustrated, acknowledging a homeless person or a beggar on the corner, and any situation you are in, are all opportunities to say ‘yes’ like Mary and allow Jesus to be born in the hearts of others.
The Angelus prayer, traditionally prayed at Noon, or whenever you are able, recounts this great mystery, as well as the rosary as we meditate on Mary’s yes in the Hail Mary’s.
Pray these prayers daily or often with the intention of bringing Jesus alive to others.
The Angelus:
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
-And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, etc.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
-Be it done unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary, etc.
And the Word was made Flesh.
-And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, etc.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
-That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.
