Saturday, March 25, 2017, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
1st Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10
The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying: Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky! But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!” Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God?Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us!” The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11
R/.Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
2nd Reading: Hebrews 10:4-10
Brothers and sisters: It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats take away sins. For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, behold, I come to do your will, O God.'” First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all. The word of the Lord.
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said,”Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said And pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. The gospel of the Lord.
SATURDAY REFLECTIONS:
There are many things to celebrate today and many things for which we should be eternally grateful. First and foremost we celebrate the profound fact that God loves us so much that He became one of us. The fact that God took on our human nature is worthy of unlimited rejoicing and celebration! If we only understood what this meant. If we could only understand the effects of this incredible event in history. The fact that God became a human being in the womb of the Blessed Virgin is a gift beyond our comprehension. It’s a gift that elevates humanity to the realm of the divine. God and man are united in this glorious event and we should be forever grateful.
We also see in this event the glorious act of perfect submission to the will of God. We see this in the Blessed Mother herself. It’s interesting to note that our Blessed Mother was told that “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son…” She wasn’t asked by the angel if she was willing, rather, she was told what was to happen. Why is that the case? It happened this way because the Blessed Virgin said yes to God throughout her life. Never was there a moment that she said no to God. Therefore, her perpetual yes to God enabled the angel Gabriel to tell her that she “will conceive.” In other words, the angel was able to tell her what she had already said yes to in her life. Our Blessed Mother’s “Yes” is an incredible witness to us. We are called to daily say yes to God. And we are called to say yes to Him even before we know what He asks of us. This solemnity affords us the opportunity to once again say “Yes” to the will of God. No matter what He is asking of you, the right answer is “Yes.”
Pray with me: Lord, the answer is “Yes!” Yes, I choose your divine will. Yes, You may do with me whatever You will. May my “Yes” be as pure and holy as our Blessed Mother’s. Let it be done to me according to Your will. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen. Have a blessed and fulfilled weekend.
Sourced by Wiezman Eleanya