The Annunciation

Today is the day of the Annunciation to Our Lady that she is to be the Mother of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Can you imagine what the Angel Gabriel thought, being the one to bring her this great news. According to the "City of God", the Holy Trinity was present at this event, knowing that she would say "yes"! I can only imagine the joy of that day. It is just awesome to think about. The world is going to have, after all these years, the One Who is to come, the CHRIST!

I would like to add this sequence from the middle ages, from the Mass of the Annunciation:

God, the lover of man, sends to the Virgin no less an angel than him who is called God's Strength, the Archangel Gabriel.

May this strong messenger be speedily at his work; may he stay the rights and laws of nature in the Virgin's delivery.

May the King of glory, when born, triumph over nature; may he reign and command; may he take away from the midst of men all leaven and rust.

May he humble proud heads; may this God, mighty in war, trample in his power on the necks of the haughty.

May he cast forth the prince of this world; and make his Mother share with him the empire which his Father has given him.

Go forth, messenger of God, announce these gifts; lift up, by the virtue of thy Annunciation, the veil of the ancient Scripture.

Approach, tell thy announcement: say, when thou art in her presence, "Hail!" Say: "O full of grace!" Say: "The Lord is with thee!" And then: "Fear not!"

Receive, O Virgin! the divine deposit; by him fulfill thy chaste purpose, and keep thy vow.

The Maid hears and accepts the announcement; she believes and conceives, and brings forth a Son, but he is the Admirable.

The Counsellor of mankind, God and Man, Father of the world to come, the Prince of peace.

May his firmness render us firm, lest human frailty should make us stumble into the abyss.

But may the giver of pardon, granting us pardon and grace, obtained by the Mother of grace, swell within us.

May he that grants us pardon of our sins, wipe away all our guilt, and give us the country in the starry heaven. Amen.

I would like to add an interesting quote from an older book I got, "The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ." It was reproduced into English in 1944, and was written by the Most Rev. Alban Goodier, S.J. It is in a two volume set, of which I only found the second book, which is dealing with the last teachings of Christ until His death on the Cross. If anyone should find the first volume, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg, please let me know. Anyway, here is the statement which I found most amusing, seeing what is going on in the world today. He is refuting the Sadducees and Pharisees, who are becoming more furious every minute, because He is in 'their' temple.

"...The people heard Him and were glad. They may not have understood; they were trained by their teachers to obey, not to understand..."

Do you think this is happening today, to make us sheep, following along without questioning anything?

Lord, have mercy on us and instill in us the gift of understanding.