#Angel said blessed is Mary and blessed is the fruit of Mary’s womb not blessed is the womb that had Jesus in it

[allieinarden]

An Onion article riffing on Pope Francis’s recently-stated opposition to surrogacy (by the way, breaking news: pope opposed to surrogacy) described Mary as a surrogate used to produce the son of God, and I can’t even bring myself to be too mad about it, given that they accidentally perfectly explained why I can’t get behind a theology in which Mary is a) a variable in the equation that leads to Christ, rather than a hard factor, b) on a temporary term of intimacy with the divine Father of her child that would not preclude her, for instance, having a few kids with Joseph once the Messiah was properly delivered into the world and the necessary obligation fulfilled.

[mishkakagehishka]

I saw a post before that said Virgin Mary was the first self-shipper who ship herself with God.. I can't unsee this

Tbf she really wasn't/didn't bc she didn't actively self-ship she was just kinda vibing until an angel told her "hey, blessed be the fruit of your womb whom you will name Jesus" and she was like "? Well if God wills it, so be it"

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th August >> Mass Readings (USA)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet.

God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Christ, the firstfruits; then those who belong to him.

Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia. Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me; he has raised up the lowly.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[catholicgurlypastor]

🙏I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.🙏

🙏Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.Amen🙏

🙏Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.🙏

🙏Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.🙏

After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima:

🙏O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.🙏

The Hail Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)🙏Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin 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: O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life. Grant, we beseech Thee, that by meditating on these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. 🙏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.

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel🙏St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.🙏

This prayer to Saint Joseph—spouse of the Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus, and patron saint of the universal Church—was composed by Pope Leo XIII in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam Pluries. He asked that it be added to the end of the Rosary, especially during the month of October, which is dedicated to the Rosary. The prayer is enriched with a partial indulgence (Handbook of Indulgences, conc. 19) and may be said after the customary Salve Regina and concluding prayer. It may also be used to conclude other Marian devotions. (From www.usccb.org)🙏To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also. Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities. O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness. As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.Amen.🙏

FIRST PRAYER🙏O Mary, You shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith. “Protectress of the Roman people”, you know our needs, and we know that you will provide, so that, as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the will of the Father and to do what Jesus tells us. For he took upon himself our suffering, and burdened himself with our sorrows to bring us, through the cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen. We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.🙏

SECOND PRAYER🙏“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”. In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother, and seek refuge under your protection.Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.🙏

[roses-red-and-pink]

Advent day 20: Zacharias and Elisabeth

Readings: Luke 1:11-17, 39-44

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

[angeltreasure]

Hi Angel 🥰 ED anon here with an update! I’ve come out of the hospital and I feel really positive about moving forwards but I know I need renewal and a change of mindset in a way that I know only God can do - it is only because of God that things went so well so far and when I think about it, I know it’s all down to him. They said my body could have gone into shock for the first week and a bit and that most people have some kind of issues especially because I ended up wanting to go at a faster pace than they recommend, but miraculously I didn’t react badly and no other intervention had to happen. I just ask for prayers that nothing will veer off track and for true change and renewal 🙏 🫶🏻🫶🏻💕💕💕🫶🏻🫶🏻

Good afternoon, thanks for much for that update, wow!! God is amazing! I’ll definitely continue to keep you in my prayers and I’m sure many others here will too as you get this time to change and start new.

~

Hail, Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

[orthodoxadventure]

Titles for the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Theotokos (Θεοτόκος)

Theotokos is an adjectival compound of two Greek words Θεός "God" and τόκος "childbirth, parturition; offspring". A close paraphrase would be "[she] whose offspring is God" or "[she] who gave birth to one who was God". The usual English translation is simply "Mother of God".

The status of Mary as Theotokos was a topic of theological dispute in the 4th and 5th centuries and was the subject of the decree of the Council of Ephesus of 431 to the effect that, in opposition to those who denied Mary the title Theotokos ("the one who gives birth to God") but called her Christotokos ("the one who gives birth to Christ"), Mary is Theotokos because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human.

Saint Cyril of Alexandria wrote, "I am amazed that there are some who are entirely in doubt as to whether the holy Virgin should be called Theotokos or not. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how is the holy Virgin who gave [Him] birth, not [Theotokos]?" [Wikipedia]

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. [Luke 1:35, NKJV]

And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [Luke 1:41-43 NKJV]

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” [Matthew 1:22-23 NKJV]

[momentsbeforemass]

What comes next

There’s the big moment. And then there’s what comes next.

There’s the wedding. And then there’s building a life together.

There’s graduation. And then there’s what you do with your education.

It’s a dynamic we see in every part of our lives.

The more you see it, the more you understand that what comes next isn’t as flashy as the big moment. But it’s the important part.

Because what comes next gives meaning to the big moment. It’s the reason for the big moment.

Right before today’s Gospel, an angel appears to Mary and says to her, “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.”

(I love the Douay-Rheims translation for that one, because it gives away the truth - that the Hail Mary is straight out of the Bible)

Mary is told by the angel that it’s God’s will for her life that she give birth to Jesus. And Mary says yes. That’s the big moment.

Today’s Gospel is the Visitation. The angel is gone. The big moment is over. And Mary goes to see her cousin Elizabeth. Here’s what comes next.

When she sees her, Elizabeth says to Mary, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”

(More Hail Mary Bible verses)

Elizabeth picks up the angel’s greeting. And it stops Mary cold.

This is what comes next. All of that amazing stuff the angel said? It’s really happening.

God with us isn’t a hope or a dream.

God with us, and all that flows from it, is a reality. It’s what comes next.

It’s the “why” of Christmas.

It’s the reason for Elizabeth’s joy. And for ours.

Today’s Readings

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

27 As he said this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Luke 11:27-28

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.

Luke 1:38

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[i] a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 

Luke 1:41-45

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

21st December >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Luke 1:39-45 for the 21st December: ‘Blessed is she who believed’.

21st December

Gospel (Except USA) Luke 1:39-45 Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

Gospel (USA) Luke 1:39-45 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Reflections (9)

(i) 21st December

There was an urgency about Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. She ‘set out and went as quickly as she could’. Her ‘yes’ to God’s call through the angel Gabriel found expression in her urgent response to God’s call through her older cousin Elizabeth who needed support in her pregnancy. Mary’s faith expressed itself in loving concern for the other, which is true of all authentic faith. Already pregnant herself, Mary physically brought the Lord to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth came to recognize this through the movement of her own child, John, in her womb, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’ Mary exemplifies our own calling to bring the Lord to others, which is the essence of what Saint Paul calls faith expressing itself in love. Because Mary brought the Lord to Elizabeth, the gospel reading declares that Elizabeth ‘was filled with the Holy Spirit’. Mary’s visit brought the Spirit to life within Elizabeth. Whenever we bring the Lord to others, we create a space for the Holy Spirit to work within their lives. We are called to encounter others in ways that allow God’s good work that has begun in them to be brought to completion. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth shows us human encounter at its best. Mary who brought the Lord to Elizabeth and enabled her to be filled with the Holy Spirit herself received a blessing from Elizabeth. Elizabeth declared her blessed not only in virtue of the special child she was carrying, and also in virtue of her faith, ‘blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord will be fulfilled’. Whenever we bring the Lord to others, we too will always receive a blessing in return. In the words of the adult Jesus, ‘Give and it will be given to you’.

And/Or

(ii) 21st December

According to the gospel reading we have just heard, Mary set out on a journey to visit her older cousin Elizabeth to be with her in her pregnancy, and she stayed with Elizabeth three months. This was a visit that seemed to bring out the best in both women. Because of Mary’s visit, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and the child in her womb leapt for joy, and Mary herself was moved to pray the great prayer that we know as the Magnificat. Both women, the visitor and the one visited, were the better for Mary’s visit. The journey and the visit are very much part of our own celebration of Christmas. Some members of your own family may have already arrived to visit you for Christmas after travelling a long journey. Others may be setting out in the next few days and their visit is eagerly anticipated. Our airports, our ports, our bus stations, our train stations will be very busy places over the next few days. As Mary visited Elizabeth in the gospel reading and that visit was joyfully received by Elizabeth, so the act of visiting and the receiving of visits will be at the heart of our lives over the coming days. Mary’s generous visit in the gospel reading was matched by Elisabeth’s generous welcome, a welcome that recognized Mary’s worth and that celebrated her goodness. If Mary shows us how to visit, Elizabeth shows us how to receive a visit. We welcome our visitors by recognizing the good that is in them, by recognizing the ways the Lord is working in their lives.

And/Or

(iii) 21st December

In this morning’s gospel reading, Elizabeth greets Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’. It is a lovely title for Mary, one we do not hear very often. We can each say of Mary that she is ‘the mother of my Lord’. To speak of Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’ is not far removed from referring to her as ‘the mother of God’. Both of these title ‘God’ and ‘Lord’ equally apply to Jesus and express his divinity. Yet to speak of Jesus as ‘my Lord’ highlights the personal dimension of our relationship with Jesus. It echoes the way Thomas, the disciples, addressed the risen Jesus towards the end of John’s gospel as ‘my Lord and my God’. It was a very personal confession of Thomas after a period of great doubt. Jesus is Lord and God but for each one of us he is ‘my Lord and my God’. If we each address Jesus as ‘my Lord’ we are acknowledging our desire to allow Jesus to be Lord of my life, my unique and unrepeatable life. We venerate the child Jesus in the crib as someone who is now ‘my Lord’. Like Elizabeth, we honour Mary as the mother of my Lord. We honour her because it was through her that the Lord came to us. It is because of her that we can each come to know Jesus as ‘my Lord and my God’.

And/Or

(iv) 21st December

This morning’s gospel reading has always made a deep impression on me. It is the meeting of two women, two great women of faith. It is also the meeting of two children, Jesus and John the Baptist who are being carried in the wombs of the two women. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting we are told that the child leapt for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Even before he was born, John rejoiced at the coming of Jesus. Elizabeth in turn recognized the child that Mary was carrying by declaring, ‘blessed is the fruit of your womb’ and by addressing her as ‘mother of my Lord’. Both Elizabeth and her unborn son recognized that the visit of Mary was, at the same time, a visit from the Lord. The Lord was coming to them through Mary. The Lord came to all of us through Mary. Mary, in turn, exemplifies our own calling to bring the Lord to each other. We will be giving gifts to each other this Christmas, but the real gift we can give to each other is the gift of the Lord, the gift of his loving presence.

And/Or

(v) 21st December

It is likely that we will all be visiting people over the coming days of Christmas and people will be visiting us. It is one of the good traditions of Christmas. We go out of our way to visit family members, friends, those who may be alone at this time of the year. We make a special effort to welcome those who visit us and to make them feel at home. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth sets the tone for all our visits. Mary brought the Lord to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth, in turn, recognized the coming of the Lord through Mary. The Lord was at the heart of their meeting. We too are called to bring the Lord to those we visit and to recognize the Lord in those who visit us. The Lord is to be at the heart of the visits we make to each other. At this Christmas time of the year, we celebrate the most fundamental visit of all, God’s visit to us in and through Mary’s child. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, declared in his great prayer, ‘God has visited his people’. We are called to make that great visitation of God to us in Jesus real and concrete in our visits to each other at this Christmas time.

And/Or

(vi) 21st December

In today’s gospel reading we hear of the meeting between two women, Mary and Elizabeth. It is also the meeting between two infants, Jesus and John the Baptist, whom Mary and Elizabeth were carrying in their wombs. The child in Elizabeth’s womb is described as leaping for joy at the greeting of Mary, because in some mysterious way, John, although still unborn, sensed the presence of Jesus in the womb of Mary. We are given a picture of John the Baptist as someone who is extremely sensitive to the presence of Jesus even as both John and Jesus were still in their mother’s wombs. John the Baptist has something to teach us about the art of being sensitive to the presence of the Lord. Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus we can often fail to recognize the Lord even though he is close to us. We can be so absorbed in our own experience, as those two disciples were, that we fail to see the Lord, fail to notice his presence. As we become more sensitive to the Lord’s presence to us, we can help others to notice what we have noticed. In the gospel reading, the reaction of Elizabeth’s child in her womb enabled Elizabeth to recognize Mary as ‘the mother of my Lord’. Through her unborn child, Elizabeth came to see that Mary’s visit was also the visit of the Lord. Advent and Christmas is a time when we help each other to become more aware of and alert to the presence of the Lord among us, especially in and through each other.

And/Or

(vii) 21st December

After Mary responded to the message of the angel Gabriel with the words, ‘let what you have said be done to me’, Luke tells that Mary set out as quickly as she could to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Even though she had received wonderful news regarding herself, her first thoughts were not for herself but for her older cousin. Her faith showed itself in love, a journey of love to someone who was in greater need than herself. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul says, ‘the only thing that counts is faith working through love’. Mary is a perfect example of the kind of faith Paul refers to. Having given herself in love to Elizabeth by travelling to meet her, Mary immediately receives a blessing from Elizabeth. Elizabeth declares Mary blessed because of the child she is carrying and also because of her believing response to God’s word. It is often the way in our own lives that we are greatly blessed by those to whom we reach out in love. Quoting Paul again, this time his second letter to the Corinthians, ‘you will be enriched in every way for your great generosity’. Mary’s journey of love graced Elizabeth and Mary, in turn, was graced by Elizabeth. Both women were so open to the Lord that each of them brought the Lord to the other. Here we have an example of human encounter at its best. It is the kind of encounter that we are all called to make possible, especially at this time of the year.

And/Or

(viii) 21st December

We spend a lot of our lives going on journeys of one kind or another. We set out to go somewhere, almost every day. Some of those journeys can be significant for ourselves and for others. We set out to visit someone and they are blessed by our visit and we are blessed by visiting them. That is the kind of journey that is put before us in today’s gospel reading. Mary set out on a journey to visit her older cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth was greatly blessed by Mary’s visit. The gospel reading says that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting she was filled with the Holy Spirit, and even the child in her womb leapt for joy. Mary herself was blessed by her visit to Elizabeth. According to the gospel reading, Elizabeth declared Mary blessed because of the child she was carrying and also because she believed the promise made her by the Lord. Mary’s setting out on this journey turned out to be good news both for Elizabeth and for Mary. The Lord calls each of us to keep setting out on journeys that bless those we journey towards. We then invariably discover that we ourselves are also blessed in blessing others. Mary brought the Lord to Elizabeth in a very physical sense, and so her visit was a source of blessing to Elizabeth, as Elizabeth exclaimed, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’ We are each called to bring the Lord to one another. We are to journey towards others in ways that make the Lord in some way present to them. When that happens, we bless and grace those we visit and we ourselves are blessed and graced as well. At Christmas, we celebrate the good news that the Lord set out on a journey towards us and visited us in a way that left us all blessed and graced. Mary’s journey to Elizabeth captured something of the spirit of the Lord’s journey towards us. Our journeys towards each other can do the same.

And/Or

(ix) 21st December

Today’s gospel scene depicts the meeting between two pregnant Jewish women, Mary and Elizabeth. As Luke describes the encounter, it is Elizabeth who does all the talking. When Mary speaks it will be to give praise to God in her Magnificat. Yet, it is Mary’s initial greeting of Elizabeth which moves Elizabeth to speak. In response to Mary’s greeting, the child in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy, recognizing who Mary was and who the child was that she was carrying. It was this movement of her child within that moved Elizabeth to speak. Because of this movement of her unborn child, she now recognizes Mary’s identity as ‘the mother of my Lord’. Elizabeth declares Mary blessed as a woman, firstly as a mother of a special child, ‘blessed is the fruit of your womb’, and secondly as a woman of faith, ‘blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled’. It was because she believed the word of God spoken by Gabriel that she became the mother of the Lord. In that sense, her faith was even more fundamental that her motherhood. Mary is a model believer in the writings of Luke. Luke wrote a gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, and the last appearance of Mary in this two volume work is of her gathered with other believers in prayer in an upper room, just before the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was becoming the mother of believers. As a woman of trusting, prayerful, faith, she can help us to become people of trusting, prayerful, faith. Just as her faithful response to God’s word, spoken by Gabriel, allowed her to become the one through whom God’s Son came into the world, so if we can respond as faithfully to God’s word as she did, God’s Son will continue to come into our world through us.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[catenaaurea]

Praying the Angelus:

A short but powerful devotion, traditionally recited 3 times daily. Once at 6 am, once at 12 noon, and once at 6 pm. Can be said alone or with others, hence the separation of V and R in between Hail Marys.

V/. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,

R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;

blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

V/. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

R/. Be it done unto me according to your 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 you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your 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.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church remembers the Annunciation of the Incarnation of the Son of God to a young Israelite girl named Maryam (Mary) by the angel Gabriel.

Blessed day on which we remember the astonishing faith of this young girl who said "yes" to bearing the Son of God, becoming pregnant before being wed to her betrothed, when "yes" might have led to her being rejected by her family, shunned by her people, or even being stoned to death. Thank you, blessed one. Because of your faith in the love of God our Savior was born and the universe has been transformed.

Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

[hieromonkcharbel]

The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God.

When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.

Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays. And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children.

The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced. For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come. “Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”.

You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.

Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.

The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.

The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us. Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made. And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.

St. Ambrose

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th August >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman adorned with the sun.

The sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 44(45):10-12,16

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

The daughters of kings are among your loved ones. On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words: forget your own people and your father’s house.

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

So will the king desire your beauty: He is your lord, pay homage to him. They are escorted amid gladness and joy; they pass within the palace of the king.

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-26 Christ will be brought to life as the first-fruits and then those who belong to him.

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Mary has been taken up to heaven; all the choirs of angels are rejoicing. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me.

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[ad-lucem-et-amor]

O immaculate virgin, mother of God and mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervour of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as he once said to you of his beloved disciple:

"Behold you son," and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life.

We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Amen.

(Pope St. Pius X, Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption)

[martinwilliammichael]

Mary to Saint Dominic: The Holy Trinity willed to use the weapon of the Rosary to reform the world

It was only in the year 1214, however, that the Church received the Rosary in its present form and according to the method we use today. It was given to the Church by St. Dominic, who had received it from the Blessed Virgin as a means of converting the Albigensians and other sinners. 

I will tell you the story of how he received it, which is found in the very well-known book De Dignitate Psalterii, by Blessed Alan de la Roche. Saint Dominic, seeing that the gravity of people's sins was hindering  the conversion of the Albigensians, withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, where he prayed continuously for  three days and three nights. During this time he did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to  appease the anger of God. He used his discipline so much that his body was lacerated, and finally he fell into a coma. 

At this point our Lady appeared to him, accompanied by three angels, and she said,"Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?" 

"Oh, my Lady," answered Saint Dominic, "you know far better than I do, because next to your Son Jesus Christ you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation." 

Then our Lady replied, "I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the principal weapon has always been the Angelic Psalter, which is the foundation-stone of the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter." 

Thus was born the Most Holy Rosary of Mary, which St. Dominic immediately employed against the Albigensian heresy. Blanche of Castile immediately embraced this new devotion, to which she attributed the birth of her son, the future king Saint Louis.

Saint Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary, Second Rose

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.