Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and ponderings to start the week... 

Have a blessed Feast of the Annunciation!! - Technically this celebration falls on March 25, but because that date fell on a Sunday of Lent this year, the solemnity was transferred to the following Monday.

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This holy day would be a good time to take up the old tradition of praying the Angelus. Whether you pray it three times per day, once a day, or just once a week, this would be a great opportunity to revive an old prayer that often gets overlooked by modern Catholics. Perhaps praying the Angelus once at noon on Saturdays would be a good start, and easy enough to accomplish.

 

 The Angelus

V. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.

R. And she conceived by the power of Holy Spirit.

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

V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

R. Be it done unto me according to your Word.

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

V. And the Word was made flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.

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

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.

Glory be...

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Another thought that comes to mind on this day...as I've mentioned here before...the Annunciation falls exactly nine months before Christmas on the liturgical calendar. What a wonderful testimony this provides for the motherhood of Mary. We are given the opportunity to journey with her in real time through the nine months of carrying Christ in her womb. In a sense, this can be an extended "Advent" as we anticipate Jesus' birth on December 25.

As modern expectant mothers share their ultrasound images of their babies or prepare their nurseries for their new arrivals, as they attend baby showers and do everything generally necessary for a new member of the family, we might imagine Mary's own sense of wonder and joy as she bore the Savior of the world. We can imagine the nine months she shared with her own child as every expectant mother does, and keep that image in our minds for the nine months leading up to Christmas - keeping in mind every stage of a baby's development. This would be a good exercise in promoting the pro-life message of the Incarnation. The Annunciation should always be an important day for expanding and sharing the culture of life.