March 25
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
“The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
'Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.'
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
'Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.'
But Mary said to the angel,
'How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?'
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.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.'
Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.'
Then the angel departed from her."
-Luke 1:26-38
Today's Reflection
Lent is a time of humility. A time when we listen more closely for the voice of God. A time when we seek to live more completely His will in our lives. Our Blessed Mother has much to teach is in this regard. She is the perfect example of receptivity, trust, and surrender. Her "fiat" or "yes" was complete and eternal. Ponder today's Gospel reading and ask Our Lady to show you the areas where you haven't yet given your fiat. Beg the Holy Spirit for the grace to do so.
A coalition of actors, media and faith leaders have published an open letter to the faith community in America urging parents not to let the R rating which was given to the pro-life movie, Unplanned, deter them from taking their teens to the theater to see this movie.
