The Solemnity of the Annunciation of Our Lord
Piety
God, we praise you and thank you for the gift of Jesus, the Great Example. Open our eyes to see how He lived and emulate his humble profession, his enduring obedience, and his endless love of his brothers and sisters.
God, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of Sound. Open our ears to hear your voice announcing Jesus, declaring your will and assigning our tasks to build your Kingdom.
God, we praise you and us thank you for the gift of Understanding. Open our mind and strengthen our will to overcome tempting distractions, the stones that block our piety, study and action.
God, we praise you and us thank you for the gift of Love. Open our hearts to accept your will. Fortify our resolve to be obedient to your will by giving us many close moments with you.
God, we praise you and us thank you for the gift of Relationship. Open our lips to go out into the world proclaim your Good News of jubilee justice for all.
God, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of Being. Open our hands to do the work you ask for the burden is heavy but the laborers are few. Amen.
Study
Praise God who offers to us sacred scriptures for today to read, to study and to hear.
You are crodially invited to study and reflect on today’s readings for the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/032506.shtml
He takes away the first to establish the second. (Heb 10:10)
God gave us Jesus and then took away Jesus to establish us as heirs to inherit the same commission and the same Kingdom.
In faith, we believe that God truly was with us. God truly remains with us. The Lord is with us and in us. God has consecrated us as well as those on our left and right, in front and behind, as the Body of Christ. We receive the gift of the Body of Christ daily and carry the Body of Christ with us out into the world to love and serve the Lord. Could today's march through Lent also be the annunciation of each of us in service to the Lord?
Mary was troubled when she began to hear and realize what the message Gabriel delivered meant in her life. Sometimes, the cult-urization of Jesus makes us focus solely on the message of love without realizing the message of obedience and the message of service. Sure, Jesus loves us and the Bible tells us so. But once we understand that God loves us, is in us and walks with us, we have some awesome responsibilities to pursue. In Micah's words, “only to do right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Imagine if Gabrielle were here today touching you on the shoulder.
Do not be afraid, Beth and Tony.
Do not be afraid, Sandy and Sam.
Do not be afraid, Kathy and Dave.
Do not be afraid, Phil and Jeanne.
Do not be afraid, Jim and Diane.
Do not be afraid, Mimi.
Do not be afraid, Mark and Judy.
Do not be afraid, Socky and Joe.
Do not be afraid, Esther and Tom.
Do not be afraid, Marques and Chris.
Do not be afraid, Regina and Sarah.
Do not be afraid, Jack and Peggy.
Do not be afraid, Frank and Karma.
Do not be afraid.
“You have found favor with God,” Gabrielle continues to commission you. “Behold, you receive in your very being the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth. Consecrated by your priests and spiritual directors, you will carry him forth in the world to share his love and be obedient in faith to the will of God, who is the Source of life, love and creativity.”
Such a commission asks each of us to be committed to the protection of life, which is threatened in the world by war, abortion, poverty, racism, capital punishment and euthanasia. Such a commission asks us to link all people together with God’s love through consistent obedience in faith to the life and love that springs from the God within each of us. Accept the challenge to carry forth that life and love to establish, maintain or repair where needed a cooperative spirit of peace, reconciliation, and respect in protecting the unprotected.
You might reply, as did Mary 2006 years ago: “How can this be?”And the angel will reply to you, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The God-within-you has no body to work but yours. The God-within-you has no mind but yours. Therefore, due to the child of God that was born to Mary in Bethlehem, due to the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, thanks to his death and resurrection for your sins, you, too are now called holy, daughters and sons of God. Go out now. Pray and Study and Work in your daily life and help carry the cross of salvation in this world for nothing will be impossible for God. Christ is counting on you.”
“And I am counting on Christ.”
Action
Pray today that you will be the servant of the Lord according to the message of Gabrielle. What guests do you have to serve today? Tomorrow?
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