Click here for Today's Readings and Gospel.
We first saw the hands-on work of the Holy Trinity "in the beginning" when God made man.
Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. (Gen. 1:26; Emphasis mine.)Prior to the creation of man, the words of God were: "Let there be ...". But at the moment of man's creation, God said, "Let us ...".
And in the Gospel today, we see again the hands-on work of the Holy Trinity for the salvation of man, starting with cooperation of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
God the Father finding favor with Mary:
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Lk. 1:30)
God the Son being conceived by Mary (and born of her):
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. (Lk. 1:31)
God the Holy Spirit conceiving Jesus in Mary's womb:
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. (Lk. 1:35)
Archangel Gabriel's started his announcement to our Blessed Mother with, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." (cf. Lk. 1:28). Our Lord found favor with Mary; and He is with Mary. And through Mary, our God came to be with us: Emmanuel, "God is with us" (cf. Is. 8:10, CCB).
Our Blessed Virgin Mary, with her free will, gave her "Yes" to God. She can say "no"; but she gave her "Yes", totally, freely, and selflessly. Her "Yes" was in total obedience, with total trust, and with total courage of heart for God. Her "Yes" was in the state of full and encompassing Grace from God: Rejoice, full of grace ... (cf. Lk. 1:28, CCB). Like Mary, we must always allow ourselves to be in the zone of saving, sufficient, and sanctifying GRACE. For the Grace of the Lord allows Man to say "Yes" to Him.
Out of his unfathomable Love did God choose to create man. And out of this same Love do God allows men to love him back. We love God because God loved us first. And God wants that this union of God and Man in perfect Love be a Grace from Him, with Man cooperating in full obedience of choosing God and of choosing Life. It happened to our Blessed Mother; it can happen to us. This is possible, for nothing is impossible with God, that's why he is God (cf. Lk. 1:37).
Let me get back to this: "that th[e] union of God and Man in perfect Love be a Grace from Him, with Man cooperating in full obedience of choosing God and of choosing Life". In Deut. 30:19, God asks us to choose: Life or Death; and in the same verse, God taught us to choose the best choice: Choose Life. When Life, Himself, was announced to the Virgin full of grace: Mary chose God by obeying his will. Mary chose life by allowing Life, Himself, to be conceived in her womb.
Therefore, for man to experience Life's fullness is for man to choose God, to choose Life.
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The Angelus
V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary;
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary ...
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary ...
V. And the Word was made flesh:
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary ...
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son,
was made known by the message of an angel,
may by His passion and cross
be brought to the glory of His resurrection,
through the same Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
Most Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, the Archangel, pray for us.
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