Monday Night at the Movies
Leo McCarey, Make Way for Tomorrow, 1947.
Make Way for Tomorrow is a 1937 American drama film directed by Leo McCarey. The plot concerns an elderly couple (played by Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi) who are forced to separate when they lose their house and none of their five children will take both parents.
FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION
Get
to Mass as today is a Solemnity
If you can't make it to Mass
Luke, Chapter 1,
verse 30:
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be AFRAID, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Mary had no fear of the world or man, yet,
when the angel appeared she was immersed in holy fear. Let us follow Mary’s
example and bravely face the day saying YES to God.
Mary
Garden[1]
The joy over the appearance of new plants and flowers in
spring prompted man to attribute to them a special power of protection and
healing. People planted special spring flower gardens; they brought branches of
early-blossoming plants, like pussy willows, into their homes; they decorated
themselves and their living rooms with wreaths of flowers and clusters of
blossoms. A striking Christian variation of these nature rites was the medieval
custom of planting "Mary gardens," which were made up of all the flowers
and herbs that are ascribed by love and legend as a special tribute to the
Blessed Virgin. This charming and inspiring tradition has been revived in many
places in Europe and more recently in this country.
Directions
In a typical Mary Garden, the statue of the Madonna
occupies a place of honor, either in the center or in a grotto against the
wall, with, usually, a birdbath or bubbling fountain built in front of it. Some
of the more familiar plants of the many that belong in a typical Mary Garden
are:
·
Columbine and Trefoil are said to
have sprung forth at the touch of Mary's foot, and consequently bear the
popular names Our Lady's shoes or Our Lady's slippers.
·
Marigold (Mary's bud) has bell-shaped
blossoms of vivid yellow. An old legend says, "Her dresses were adorned
with Marigold." This flower was used to decorate her shrines for the Feast
of the Annunciation (March 25) and during the month of May.
·
Lily-of-the-valley (Our Lady's tears).
This delicate flower is still widely used in Germany, there it is called Maiglockchen
(May bells), to decorate the Mary shrines in churches and homes during the
Virgin's month (May).
·
Foxgloves thrive in moist and shaded
places; they blossom in many colors and present a most attractive sight with
their clusters of little bells, which were called Our Lady's thimbles in
medieval times.
·
Snowdrop. This charming flower is the
first herald of spring in Europe. It often blossoms as early as Candlemas
(February 2) between batches of melting snow, hence the name. In Germany it is
called "Snow bell" (Schneeglocklein). Little bouquets of
snowdrops are the first floral tribute of the year at the shrines of the
Madonna on Candlemas. It is a popular emblem of Mary's radiant purity and of
her freedom from any stain of sin.
·
Lily. This stately and dignified flower
has been associated from ancient times with Jesus and Mary, and is called
Madonna lily in many parts of Europe. At Easter its brilliant and fragrant
blossoms symbolize the radiance of the Lord's risen life. Later in the year it
is used to decorate the shrines of Mary, especially on July 2, the Feast of the
Visitation. It also is an old and traditional symbol of innocence, purity, and
virginity.
·
Rosemary produces delicate and fragrant
blossoms of pale blue color in early spring. according to legend, the plant
originally bloomed in white; however, it turned blue (Mary's color) in reward
for the service it offered when Our Lady looked for some bush on which to
spread her Child's tiny garments after having washed them on the way to Egypt.
The bushes do not grow very tall but as they grow older, they spread out and
thicken, forming a dense bush. There is an old superstition that "the
rosemary passeth not commonly the height of Christ when he was on earth."
·
Violets are dedicated to Mary as symbols
of her humility. They are said to have blossomed forth outside her window when
she spoke the words, "Behold, I am a handmaid of the Lord." Leaving
her, the angel of God blessed the little flowers in passing, thus endowing them
with the tenderest and most beautiful fragrance of all plants.
·
Roses were associated with Mary from
early times. Saint Dominic (1221) is credited with the spreading of the
familiar devotion called the "Rosary (rosarium) of the Blessed
Virgin Mary." The word "rosary" originally meant a rose garden
but was later used in the sense of "rose garland." Three colors are
especially consecrated to Mary: white roses as symbols of her joys, red roses
as emblems of her sufferings, and yellow (golden) roses as heralds of her
glories.
Feast
of the Annunciation[2]
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
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[3]
·
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.
Annunciation of the Lord (New, Trad)[4]
- Annunciation
Waffles
- Annunciation
Blueberry Oatmeal Coffee CakeBaked
Blueberry & Pecan Crusted French ToastLady
Day Feasting (Swedish Waffles and Ukrainian Poppy Seed Bread)
- Lily
Sandwiches
- Mother
Most Pure Calla Lily Sandwiches
- Marian
Blueberry ParFIAT
- Annunciation
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Bride's
Cake with Blueberry Filling
- All Recipes for the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saint
Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, pray for us!
Feast
of the Annunciation[5]
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 entreat 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 Isaiah,
saying: Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God, either unto the depth of hell, or
unto the height above. And Isaiah 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, overshadowed 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.
Solemnize the Day[6]
Therefore, is it that we, the children
of Adam, who have been snatched by Mary's obedience from the power of hell,
solemnize this day of the Annunciation. Well may we say of Mary those words of
Debbora, when she sang her song of victory over the enemies of God's people:
‘The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel, until Debbora arose, a mother
arose in Israel. The Lord chose new wars, and He Himself overthrew the gates of
the enemies.’ Let us also refer to the holy Mother of Jesus these words of
Judith, who by her victory over the enemy was another type of Mary: 'Praise ye
the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in Him. And by me, His
handmaid, He hath fulfilled His mercy, which He promised to the house of
Israel; and He hath killed the enemy of His people by my hand this night. . ..
The almighty Lord hath struck him, and hath delivered him into the hands of a
woman, and hath slain him.'
Excerpted
from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO-THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER
TWO-YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF
Article 10-THE
TENTH COMMANDMENT
III. Poverty of Heart
2544 Jesus enjoins his
disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone, and bids them
"renounce all that [they have]" for his sake and that of the
Gospel. Shortly before his passion he gave them the example of the poor
widow of Jerusalem who, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live
on. The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into
the Kingdom of heaven.
2545 All Christ's faithful are
to "direct their affections rightly, lest they be hindered in their
pursuit of perfect charity by the use of worldly things and by an adherence to
riches which is contrary to the spirit of evangelical poverty."
2546 "Blessed are the poor
in spirit." The Beatitudes reveal an order of happiness and grace, of
beauty and peace. Jesus celebrates the joy of the poor, to whom the Kingdom
already belongs:
The Word
speaks of voluntary humility as "poverty in spirit"; the Apostle
gives an example of God's poverty when he says: "For your sakes he became
poor."
2547 The Lord grieves over the
rich, because they find their consolation in the abundance of
goods. "Let the proud seek and love earthly kingdoms, but blessed are
the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." Abandonment
to the providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about
tomorrow. Trust in God is a preparation for the blessedness of the poor.
They shall see God.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
The
Last Things[7]
The last things are death, judgment,
heaven and hell.
Death is the separation of man's mortal body and immortal soul. It comes to all men as a result of original sin. It is a temporary state, for at the end of the world, all men shall rise again to be judged by Christ. Thus the whole man, body and soul, will be rewarded for the good or evil that he has done, body and soul, in this life.
Judgment. At the moment of death, each human person is judged by God based on his conduct in this life, and goes immediately to his reward or punishment. Moreover, at the end of the world, Jesus Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. At that time, God's whole plan for the world shall be revealed, and his mercy and justice demonstrated.
Heaven is the eternal state of perfect happiness resulting from the face to face vision of God, which is the reward of those who have served Him in this life.
Hell is the eternal state of
torment and despair which awaits those who, in this life, have freely rejected
God and the happiness which He offers.
Before the end of the world, there
will be an intermediate state called purgatory. There, those who are
bound for heaven, but whose love for God is still marred by some imperfection,
undergo a temporary period of purifying suffering. When this purification is
complete, they are fit to enter God's presence and are admitted to the joys of
heaven.
Christopher's Corner
The
name Philip means the “lover of horses”.
Horse
enthusiasts will once again get a chance to enjoy the Annual Horse Expo at Frying Pan Farm Park’s
Equestrian Center.
The
event, which is set for April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is open to all and
will include an equestrian demonstration, a variety of horses in a Parade of
Breeds, speeches by expert speakers, and businesses offering horse-related
products and services.
“This
featured event is for everyone — experienced riders, beginners, and anyone who
loves horses or hopes to become a rider,” the Fairfax County Park Authority
said in a press release.
Pony
rides are also available for $10, though pre-registration is required. Registration for the
overall expo is free.
This
year’s expo features new and additional vendors onsite as well as new topics
for demonstrations and speakers, such as trailer safety, equine entertainment
and liberty training, according to FCPA spokesperson Roberta Korzen.
The
equestrian center is a public facility in Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox
Road). It offers rental events, horse shows, trailer-in schooling options and
short-term stabling. It also features
two full-size outdoor riding rings and a rally field.
Know
about Equine-Assisted Therapy for Autism
Equine therapy and other equine
programs for military veterans & families
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Protection
of Traditional Marriage
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance of the Angels
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
·
30
Days with St. Joseph Day 20
·
Monday: Litany of
Humility
[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-03-25
[4]https://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2012/02/recipes-for-march-month-dedicated-to-st.html
[5] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[7] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/last-things-49
·
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