SOLEMNITY
OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD
Luke,
Chapter 1, verse 30:
Then
the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor
with God.
It is important to note as the Vatican Council II pointed out at the
message of the angel, Mary received the word of God in her heart and in her
body and gave the world Christ. Notice that in order to be the blessed
sanctuary of the messiah it was necessary for her to be fearless. Mary is a
model of courage for us and at the death of her son she shows both her courage
and generosity in accepting us all as her adopted sons and daughters.
The feast commemorates the most sublime moment in the history of time, the moment when the Second Divine Person of the most Holy Trinity assumed human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Thus, it is a feast of our Lord, even as it is of Mary, although the liturgy centers wholly around the Mother of God. — The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
969 "This motherhood of Mary
in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she
loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering
beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to
heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession
continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. . . .
Therefore, the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of
Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."
973 By pronouncing her
"fiat" at the Annunciation and giving her consent to the Incarnation,
Mary was already collaborating with the whole work her Son was to accomplish.
She is mother wherever he is Savior and head of the Mystical Body.
Things to Do[2]
·
This
feast is very important in the defense of the life of unborn children. Even
with small children, this is a good day to begin teaching about the high value
God places on human life. He loved us so much that he became one of us, took on
our human nature and became an innocent, completely dependent infant.
·
This
is a Solemnity, so when this feast falls during the Lenten season, our Lenten
penance obligations are lifted. We should celebrate by some special food or
dinner. This feast day forecasts the blessed event of Christmas and illustrates
how the liturgical year is an endless circle of days. To celebrate this circle
or cycle, serve a cake, coffee rings, or wreath-shaped cookies, or foods shaped
in ring molds for this feast day. A perfect symbolic food would be an angel
food cake for the archangel Gabriel, baked in a tube pan for the endless
circle, decorated with the frosting highlighted with blue for Mary.
·
A
traditional food for this day is waffles. "Lady Day" or Annunciation
is the only feast of Mary that Sweden still celebrates since the Lutheran faith
became the state religion in 1593. In most of Europe, waffles are a traditional
feast day food, but on the feast of the Annunciation in Sweden this is THE
"Waffle Day" (Vaffeldagen), where waffles are served either for
breakfast, lunch or dinner, with lingonberries or cloudberries.
THIS
feast is so called from the announcement to the Blessed Virgin, by the
archangel Gabriel, that she was to be the mother of the Messias. In the Introit
of the Mass the Church refers to this high dignity of Mary’s: All the rich
shall en treat thy countenance; after her shall virgins be brought to the King;
her neighbors shall be brought to thee in gladness and rejoicing. My heart hath
uttered a good word, I speak my works to the King.
Prayer.
O
God, Who didst please that Thy Word should take flesh, at the message of an
angel, in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant to Thy suppliants that we,
who believe her to be truly the Mother
of God, may be blessed by her intercession with Thee.
EPISTLE.
Isaias vii. 10-15.
In those days the Lord spoke to
Achaz, saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of
hell, or unto the height above. And Achaz said I will not ask, and I will not
tempt the Lord. And he said: Hear ye therefore, O house of David: Is it a small
thing for you to be grievous to men, that you are grievous to my God also?
Therefore, the Lord Himself shall
give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and His name
shall be called Emmanuel. He shall eat butter and honey, that He may know to
refuse the evil and to choose the good.
Instruction
on The Angelic Salutation, Or Hail Mary.
Why
is this prayer called the Hail Mary, Angelic Salutation?
Because
it begins with the words which the archangel Gabriel addressed to the Blessed
Virgin when he announced to her that she should be the Mother of God.
Of what does the Angelic Salutation
consist?
1. Of the words of
the archangel Gabriel.
2. Of the words of
St. Elizabeth.
3. Of words which
have been added thereto by the Catholic Church.
Which
are the words of the archangel Gabriel? Hail [Mary], full of grace, the
Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women.
What
is the meaning of these words? The words; Hail Mary
indicate that profound veneration for the Blessed Virgin which was felt by the
archangel Gabriel, and which we, in imitation of his example, ought also to
cherish. The words full of grace remind us that God bestowed upon the
Blessed Virgin greater graces than upon all men and angels together; and that
not for herself alone, but for us also; they therefore encourage us to pray to
Mary with fervor and confidence, that by her powerful intercession she will
obtain for us the graces necessary for our salvation. The Lord is with thee;
these words express the peculiar complacency with which God has regarded her,
on account of which He wrought in her special miracles of wisdom, omnipotence,
and benignity. Let us rejoice with Mary over these prerogatives, and implore
her to intercede for us, that God may be with us also, to sustain us by His
almightiness, to govern us by His wisdom, to incite us to all that is good by
the fire of His infinite love. Finally, the words Blessed art thou among
women are as much as to say: Thou art the happiest of all women, since thou
alone of them all hast no stain of sin on thee; thou art chosen to be the
Mother of God; thou shalt conceive Him by the Holy Ghost, and shalt bring Him
forth without losing thy virginity. Thus, it was that the angel saluted the
most blessed Virgin, and yet there are men who are ashamed thus to salute Mary,
and to give praise for the graces which God conferred upon her.
Which
are the words of Elizabeth, and what do they mean?
And
blessed is the fruit of thy womb; the word blessed is equivalent to
praised. In saying these words, therefore, we desire that the fruit of Mary’s
womb, Jesus, may be worshipped and praised by all men.
Which
are the words which the Catholic Church has added? To the words Blessed
is the fruit of thy womb she has added; Jesus; in order thereby to
explain them, and to indicate that this prayer is to be offered in the name of
Jesus. There upon follow the words, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us
sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
What
do these words mean? With the words, Holy Mary, we apply to her who
is full of grace as our intercessor, and thereby are reminded to strive to
imitate her holiness, if we would be sure of her intercession, and of being
heard before God. We call her Mother of God, because she brought forth Jesus,
the Son of God. Thereby we at the same time remind her that she is our mother
also, and pray her to care for us as a mother ; not as though we believed she
could of herself help us, but with the design that she should offer to God her
all-prevailing prayers for us; hence we say, Pray for us, adding, sinners.
By these words we remind Mary of our misery, and ourselves of our powerlessness
for good, and of our guiltiness in the sight of God, praying her to procure for
us the grace of God to do true penance, to acquire virtues, and to gain true
peace, and that; now, inasmuch as at every moment, and throughout our whole
life, we have so many dangers to meet, so many virtues to gain; and at the hour
of our death, that we may overcome the temptations of the last decisive hour,
and stand complete victors before the throne of the eternal Judge. Amen,
so may it be, is, as it were, to repeat and make stronger the whole prayer.
GOSPEL.
Luke i. 26-38.
At
that time the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called
Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David, and the virgin s name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her:
Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who
having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner
of salutation this should be?
And
the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the
Most High, and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David His father:
and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there
shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I
know not man?
And
the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore, also the Holy
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy
cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the
sixth month with her that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible
with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me
according to thy word.
Salutation
to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
Hail, Mary, full of grace! I
rejoice, and give joy to thee, that thou hast been chosen the Mother of the
Most High, and the queen of heaven and earth. With thee is the Father Who
begot, from all eternity, Him Whom thou didst bring forth as God-man in time;
with thee is the Son, Whom thou didst bear in thy virginal womb; with thee is
the Holy Ghost, overshad owed by Whose power thou didst become the Mother of
the Redeemer of the world. Praised, therefore, be thou, thou blessed among women;
thou daughter of the Most High; thou bride of the Holy Ghost; thou joy of heaven;
thou ornament of the Church of God; thou honor of Christians. Oh, pray God for
us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Read:
Exactly
nine months before we celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, we celebrate
the Annunciation
of the Lord.
Reflect:
In
today’s Gospel, we hear how Mary answered God’s call to bear his only Son. How
are you called to serve the Lord in your daily life? Are you paying attention
to what God is asking of you?
Pray:
Add
the Angelus
to your daily prayer today.
Act:
Say
the Hail Mary before your mealtime prayer today with your family.
In recent years The Tolkien Society have provided information packs, bookmarks and posters for schools taking part in this event. They have also provided free posters for events held by libraries and the general public taking place near to the event, rather than on the 25th.
Observances
With the popularity of the
Lord of The Rings film triliogy firmly influencing the popularity of the books,
Tolkien Reading Day was set up with hopes of getting even more people reading
and discovering that there is much more to Tolkien than just The Lord of the
Rings.Typical events consist of readings and discussions, but some groups re-enact scenes from the Lord of the Rings books.
A battle against evil alone does not make The Lord of
the Rings fundamentally Christian and Catholic; and yet there are many ways
that it is.
Here are some of the ways The Lord of
the Rings is a Christian myth.
1.
Darkness pervades Middle-earth where man, beast and nature are
called to an adventure full of peril and hope. Here is how Elijah Wood explains
the film's dominant theme: No matter how bad things are, no matter how much
evil there is in this world, there is always some good worth fighting for,
worth standing up for, and worth some effort in carrying on.
2.
The One Ring illustrates how evil can entice and enslave.
Beautiful gold rings are enticing to wear. But when we slip them on our fingers,
we announce our devotion and loyalty to their owner.
3.
Gandalf and Saruman, while not analogous, have traits, goals, and
experiences similar to those of Jesus and Satan. Gandalf is even tempted in a
battle with Saruman not unlike Christ is tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
4.
Evil is parasitic and can only destroy that which was created.
Everything that (God) created in Middle-earth (and in our world) is good. It is
the perversion and corruption of what was created that is evil. Good can exist
on its own. Evil can only live off what is good.
5.
Like all Christians, Frodo is called to risk his life through
great peril to save others. Frodo, like us, does not appear to be up to the
task. He does not have any obvious talent suited for war. But he is chosen, as
we are. We are all necessary for God's grand plan to be fulfilled; and even the
most unlikely and disgusting Gollum-like beast in our life is necessary. And when
Frodo asks, "What can a little hobbit do?" — Isaiah answers, "A
little child will lead them" (11:6).
6.
In the Shire, the Hobbits come naturally to living a beatific life
that Christ calls Christians to live by. The Hobbits are the meek that inherit
the earth, the merciful who receive mercy, the pure in heart, and the
peacemakers. (Mt. 5:3-12)
7.
Like all Christians, Tolkien's characters are called to play roles
in a story tht is much greater and more important than they are aware. Just as
we are not aware of all that has happened before us, so Gandalf, at the end of The
Hobbit, says to Bilbo, "You don't really suppose, do you, that all
your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole
benefit? "you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after
all!"
8.
There is a longing for the return of the king. As Christians long
for the return of Christ the King, so the free people of Middle-earth long for
their kingdoms to be once more united in peace and justice under the rightful
heir. Did I mention that Aragorn looks like Christ?
9.
The Fellowship of the Ring is constituted of different characters
with different gifts suited for battling evil — the diversity keeps them
united. This is not unlike the diversity of spiritual gifts and temporal
talents given to the different members of the Christian community for the unity
of the body — so that we might be dependent on each other.
10. Upon
leaving Lorien, each of the Fellowship members are given custom fitted Elvish
hooded cloaks not unlike St. Paul's amour in Ephesians 6:10-17. Again, Tolkien
disliked allegory; so the cloaks are not exactly like St. Paul's armour of
salvation. But they do have mystical traits of great aid that keep them safe in
their battle with evil.
A Catholic Core The Lord of the Rings is also Catholic.
A Catholic Core The Lord of the Rings is also Catholic.
11. There
are sacraments not symbols. For their journey, Galadriel graciously bestows
upon the Fellowship — a representation of the church — seven mystical gifts; no
mere symbols these, but glimmering reflections of the Church's seven sacraments
— the conveying of spiritual grace through temporal rites. And at her Mirror,
Galadriel derides the Reformers' taunt of Eucharistic magic in the Mass
when she says: "For this is what your folk would call magic, I believe;
though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem to use the
same words for the deceits of the enemy."
12. As
grace and creation is experienced through a sacrament, so control and
destruction is experienced through an anti-sacrament — the One Ring. The ring
that Frodo bears is not symbolic, but rather operates as an anti-sacrament.
Dependent on a person's spiritual disposition, a sacrament literally allows
grace and life to flow into a person through the physical realm. Likewise, in
Middle-earth, the characters' spiritual disposition makes them more or less
susceptible to the anti-sacrament power of the ring, which if worn, literally
brings evil and destruction upon the bearer.
13. The
protagonists pursue absolutes, rejecting any willingness to compromise or
relativize. In Middle-earth there is an absoluteness of what is right and
wrong. There is no hint of moral relativism that separates the different
peoples, races, or creators of the freelands. Aragorn says to Eomer: "Good
and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves
and Dwarves and another among men."
14. The
protagonists embrace suffering as a requirement of working out their salvation.
It isn't enough to simply believe or have faith to be free of the tyranny of
evil each of our protagonists must sacrifice and work hard through great peril
to secure their salvation and the right ordering of their world.
15. The
Shire, described as the ideal community, reflects the social teachings of
Catholicism. The Hobbits benefit from a community structure with little formal
organization and less conflict. They work only enough to survive and otherwise
enjoy each other's company. There is no jealousy, no greed, and rarely does
anyone do anything unexpected. There is a wholeness and graciousness about it
that seems to come naturally out of selflessness.
16. Gandalf,
the steward of all things good in the world, reflects the papacy. Gandalf is
leader of the free and faithful. He is steward of all things good in the world,
but he claims rule over no land. As the Popes of history did with kings and
emperors of our world, so Gandalf crowns the king and blesses him to rule with
justice and peace.
17. Middle-earth
ideology reflects a corporate moral hierarchy and not individualism. There is
no democracy or republic in Middle-earth. There are spiritual leaders like
Gandalf, and Kings like Theoden and Elessar with lords and vassals. There is no
defense of individualism, no claim of choice, and no justification for an
individual to follow his conscience.
18. There
is a mystical Lady, like The Blessed Mother, who responds miraculously to pleas
for help. The Lady is named Varda (or in Elvish, Elbereth or star-queen)
and although she is never seen, she's is described as holy and queenly; and
when her name is invoked — "O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! — as Frodo and Sam do
on occasion, miracles follow that protect the quest and defeat the present
enemy.
19. The
sign of the cross. At the end of the first movie (and the beginning of the
second book) Aragorn kneels beside the mortally wounded Boromir — and as he
dies, Aragorn makes a rudimentary sign of the cross touching first his forehead
and then his lips. It is a salute to Avatar, the One who created all.
20. There
is a last sharing of cup and bread, not unlike O.T. manna and its fulfillment
in The Eucharist.Before the Fellowship departs from Lorien, Galadriel bids each
to participate in a farewell ritual and drink from a common cup. More
significant is the mystical Elvish food given to the fellowship — lembas
or waybread. A small amount of this supernatural nourishment will sustain a
traveler for many days.
All of this should make viewing or reading The Lord of the Rings a more interesting and insightful experience for both Christians and Catholics.
All of this should make viewing or reading The Lord of the Rings a more interesting and insightful experience for both Christians and Catholics.
Remember[7]
“Behold, the eye of
the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, to
deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine.” (Ps.
33:18-19)
Everyone deserves to experience some unconditional love,
and many go to great lengths to find it and do not. We were created for love
but not earthly love. Earthly love is but a foretaste of the love God has for
you. Today love someone with no conditions; just love them. For love alone
holds the secret to life. There is hope in the midst of calamity.
"To
love someone is to desire that person's good, AND to take effective steps to
secure it"- Benedict
XVI'
"Read
these counsels slowly. Pause to meditate on these thoughts. They are things
that I whisper in your ear-confiding them-as a friend, as a brother, as a
father. And they are being heard by God. I won't tell you anything new. I will
only stir your memory, so that some thought will arise and strike you; and so
you will better your life and set out along ways of prayer and of Love. And in
the end you will be a more worthy soul."
Gloominess,
depression. I am not surprised: it is the cloud of dust raised by your fall.
But... that's enough! Can't you see that the cloud has been borne far away by
the breath of grace? Moreover, your gloominess, if you don't fight it, could
very well be the cloak of your pride. — Did you really think yourself perfect
and incapable of sinning?
Daily Devotions
[1]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-03-25
[3]
1896
[5]https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/tolkien-reading-day/
[6]https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/art/20-ways-the-lord-of-the-rings-is-both-christian-and-catholic.html
[8]http://www.escrivaworks.org/book/the_way-point-1.htm
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