The Annunciation

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Today we’re celebrating that God came to us in the form of his Son, Jesus the Christ.

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
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Saint Joseph, spouse of Our Lady

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We don’t hear much about Joseph at all. He’s the quiet father figure, protecting his wife and child from evil.

When Mary became pregnant with the Son of God, we hear this:

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

Matthew 1:18-24
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Into Jerusalem

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Today we commemorate Jesus’ final entry into the holy city. This is such a powerful event, much more than any normal historical significance.

Jerusalem is an epicenter of faith for all the Abrahamic religions. It signifies our paths toward God, just as He led the Jews toward union with Him here on earth.

In my mind, it signifies that we´re ALL on a journey to God, and our goal is to meet Him in the next life.

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Blind

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I was part of an RCIA team for many years, and absolutely loved the weeks which led up to the Easter Vigil initiation of our new church members. It’s always a very emotional time.

If the priest chooses, he can use three Gospel readings from Church Year A for the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent. These are three particularly deep and powerful stories of Jesus’ ministry while on earth.

On this 4th Sunday of Lent, the RCIA reading is of the man born blind. It’s something I can related to very much this year.

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Annunciation of God’s presence

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Right in the middle of Lent, we’re given this wonderful gift today!

Nine months before Christmas, the Church celebrates the Annunciation: the day when God sent the Angel Gabriel to Mary:

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.”

Luke 1:28-31
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Transfiguration

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Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Keep listening to him!”

Luke 9:31 ISV

I’m pondering today this wonderful story of God’s endorsement of His Son’s work in this world. One of the things which can help bring these readings to life is to use a site (like BibleHub, in this case) which captures all the English translations in a single place.

I picked the International Standard Version here because others simply say, “Listen to him!”, or something similar. In that case, it’s signifying that Jesus will say something important.

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