†Quote of the Day ""My prayer is that the good God may establish His absolute reign in your heart and in the hearts of all."
–St. Julie Billiart Today's Meditation "Therefore, when God gives spiritual comfort, receive it with thanksgiving, but know that it is the bounty of God, not thy merit. Be not puffed up, be not overjoyed, nor vainly presume, but rather be the more humble for this gift and the more cautious and fearful in all thine actions; for this hour will pass away and temptation will follow. When comfort shall be taken away from thee, do not presently despair; but wait with humility and patience for the heavenly visit, for God is able to restore thee a greater consolation. This is no new thing, nor strange to those who have experienced the ways of God: for the great saints and ancient prophets have often felt this kind of variety."
—Thomas à Kempis, p. 64 Daily Verse "I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord." –Psalm 40:1-3 | St. Julie Billiart St. Julie Billiart (1751-1816) was born in Cuvilly, France, to a large and prosperous farming family. By the age of seven she knew her catechism by heart, and would gather her playmates together and teach it to them. Her spiritual progress was so remarkable that her parish priest allowed her to make an early first communion at the age of nine, at which time she took a vow of chastity. As a teenager she already had the reputation of being a living saint. When financial ruin struck her family she worked in the fields alongside the reapers. At the age of twenty-two she became paralyzed and remained a bed-ridden invalid for the next twenty-two years. However this did not prevent her from having an active life. She received Holy Communion daily, made altar laces and linens, catechized the village children from her bedside, and spent many hours in contemplative prayer. When the French Revolution erupted she gave aid to priests in her home, and soon after was smuggled to safety while hidden in a hay cart. She took refuge in the home of a countess, and due to her sanctity soon had a company of young, noble ladies gathered around her bed to whom she taught the ways of the interior life. From this St. Julie founded and led the Institute of the Sisters of Notre Dame dedicated to the Christian education of girls and the training of catechists. After making her vows in 1804, she was cured of her paralysis. For the next twelve years she made over a hundred journeys as she founded fifteen convents of her order. St. Julie Billiart's feast day is April 8th. | Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord Reading 1 Is 7:10-14; 8:10 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:
Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;
let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!
But Ahaz answered,
"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"
Then Isaiah said:
Listen, O house of David!
Is it not enough for you to weary people,
must you also weary my God?
Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:
the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,
and shall name him Emmanuel,
which means "God is with us!" Responsorial Psalm 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11 R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Holocausts or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Your justice I kept not hid within my heart;
your faithfulness and your salvation I have spoken of;
I have made no secret of your kindness and your truth
in the vast assembly.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Reading 2 Heb 10:4-10 Brothers and sisters:
It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats
take away sins.
For this reason, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
in holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight.
Then I said, 'As is written of me in the scroll,
behold, I come to do your will, O God.'" First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings,
holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
These are offered according to the law.
Then he says, "Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all. Alleluia Jn 1:14ab R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word of God became flesh and made his dwelling among us;
and we saw his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:26-38 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.
| DAILY MEDITATION: ISAIAH 7:10-14; 8:10
The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) Isn't it astounding to think that eight centuries before the angel made the annunciation to Mary, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a virgin bearing a child named "Emmanuel" (Isaiah 7:14)? And that's not the only time that God spoke his promises of salvation through one of his prophets. By some estimates, the Old Testament contains upwards of three hundred prophecies that have been fulfilled in Christ! But God's promises were not always fulfilled in exactly the way the Jewish people had expected. For example, Jesus did not become the powerful earthly ruler many were looking for. Other messianic prophecies did come to pass: Jesus gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf, healed lepers, and proclaimed the good news to the poor (Matthew 11:5; Isaiah 61:1). Sometimes we see God's promises fulfilled in surprising and unexpected ways. For example, a job relocation leads us to a newfound ministry, fulfilling God's promise that we will bear fruit for his kingdom. Or an unexpected diagnosis leads us to sense God's presence in a powerful way and experience his promise to be with us always. Or we might receive the grace that God has promised so that we can love and care for someone we once found difficult to love. We also see God fulfilling his promises in ways we've come to expect, like the forgiveness we receive each time we go to Confession. Or spiritual nourishment when we receive the Eucharist. Or peace when we turn to the Lord in prayer. Just as he promised salvation to Israel eight centuries before Christ, so has God given us promises we can rely on. So be confident that God will do what he says—even if the way he does it is surprising! May we all have the eyes to see the ways in which his promises have been—and will be—fulfilled in our lives. "Lord, as I await the fulfillment of all your promises, I will continue to pray with Mary, 'May it be done to me according to your word' (Luke 1:38)." Psalm 40:7-11
Hebrews 10:4-10
Luke 1:26-38 |  click to hear 2cents | Reflections with Brother Adrian:
Audio English | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"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.." end quote. | From Bishop Barron today:
"Friends, in today's Gospel from Luke, we find the Annunciation to Mary. Here is what Gabriel said to the Virgin: "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. . . . 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." No first-century Israelite would have missed the meaning here: this child shall be the fulfillment of the promise made to King David. And this means that the child is, in fact, the king of the world, the one who would bring unity and peace to the nations. The conviction grew upon Israel that this mysterious descendant of David would be king—not just for a time and not just in an earthly sense, but forever and for all nations. This definitive king of the Jews would be king of the world. He would be our king, as well......" end quote.
These words were spoke at the Annunciation of Mary and our Lord spoke similarly at His agony in the Garden: "may it be done to me according to your word" This was an Annunciation in of itself. Mary pronounced what would be as our Lord pronounced what would be...that is God's will be done.
In Spanish it us said that the voluntary be done. Who volunteers to do what God wants?
First Jesus and Mary. They surrender it all at their Annunciation.
And so should we...in love and trust in Hus Divine will and mercy. |  Click for Audio | Random Bible Verse For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:9 | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
