Monday, April 9, 2018

The Annunciation


BEADS OF JOY 04-09-18
“The Annunciation”
©2018 James Dacey, Jr. OFS

My Friends,


Today’s Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 (The Annunciation)
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "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, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.”


Reflection:
What is the Annunciation?

The First Joyful Mystery (personal joyful reflection)
As I was visiting with Mary I noticed the way she lived her life; her Humility was a very dynamic part of who she was and is. She was friendly but shy, a life devoted and trusted in God’s Will… Was she ready? …more than ready for whatever would be asked of her. Then the Angel Gabriel arrived, ready and confident that God’s choice in Mary was beyond excellent. As the Angel spoke to her you can see how attentive and yet almost knowingly ready for God to ask of something of her. Slightly unclear of the possibilities of the request; yet without hesitation she responded, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Thank you, Mary, …

“Following her example of obedience to God, we can learn to serve delicately without being slavish. In Mary we don’t find the slightest trace of the attitude of the foolish virgins, who obey, but thoughtlessly. Our Lady listens attentively to what God wants, ponders what she doesn’t fully understand and asks about what she doesn’t know. Then she gives herself completely to doing God’s will: Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.” ~St. Josemaria Escriva

“The whole ecclesial movement of women can and should reflect the light of Gospel revelation, according to which a woman, as the representative of the human race, was called to give her consent to the Incarnation of the Word. It is the account of the Annunciation that suggests this truth when it tells that only after the “fiat” of Mary, who consented to be the Mother of the Messiah, did ‘the angel depart from her’ (Lk. 1:38). The angel had completed his mission: he could bring to God humanity’s “yes”, spoken by Mary of Nazareth.” ~St. Pope John Paul II

“Mary showed complete trust in God by agreeing to be used as an instrument in his plan of salvation. She trusted him in spite of her nothingness because she knew he who is mighty could do great things in her and through her. Once she said “yes” to him, she never doubted. She was just a young woman, but she belonged to God and nothing nor anyone could separate her from him.” ~St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

An Angel Foretells Christ's Birth to Mary



Pondering these thoughts today: Check this out, hope it’s helpful in your own personal Journey. I wrote these in August of 1996, the week of Chrissy’s birthday and Travis was born.

-How has the humanity of Mary brought forth in the illustration of the Annunciation?

-How has the humanity of Mary inspired me to be more open to God’s Word fully trusting Him?

-Have there been times when I was troubled by having to put God’s Word into practice –and yet fully understand that I must trust in Him?

-What have I found to be a major obstacle to living God’s Word? And how has Mary’s Annunciation been a source of strength for me so that I can be more like her?

-How does Mary’s humble background help her to be open to the God’s Request? And in what ways have I struggled with humility?

-What daily concerns and temptations keep me from doing God’s Will? How have I confronted these challenges so that I am open to God’s Request at all times?

-What recent incident has challenged my faith like no other in my life? Was I able to respond with courage, trust and an even deeper faith?

-Has Mary’s lack of knowledge and understanding played a role in my own journey of faith –allowing myself to be like her and walk in faith and trust even when I don’t fully understand?

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

Your brother in Christ Jesus 
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Today is Monday: We pray the Joyful Mysteries:

The Joyful Mysteries

1. The Annunciation (Humility) – Luke 1:26-28
2. The Visitation (Love of Neighbor) – Luke 1:39-45
3. The Birth of Jesus (Poverty of Spirit) – Luke 2:1-20
4. The Presentation (Purity of Mind and Spirit) – Luke 2:22-38
5. Finding in The Temple (Obedience) –Luke 2:41-50

I simply love Monday mornings, because every morning begins with the Rosary.


MY FIRST BOOK.
(Mary’s Way of The Cross - .99¢)

MY SECOND BOOK.
(Praying The Complete Rosary - .99¢)

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