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Today, we celebrate the awesome event of when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that she would bear a Son, who would be called the Son of God. Today is the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord. The Annunciation Can you imagine what that moment must have been like for Mary? She was a young teen, barely a woman! Yet, she knew enough about the facts of life to know how procreation works. She wondered, how could this be, since she did not know man? She was engaged to Joseph, but they had not yet married. Therefore, Mary was a virgin. Yet, with God, all things are possible. We consider the Annunciation, the conception of Jesus, to be one of the mysteries of our faith. With Mary’s “yes,” Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, (ever Divine) entered humanity, through the power of the Holy Spirit, by Mary conceiving Jesus in her womb. This young teen then went on to become the greatest mother of all the living. It was because of Mary’s “yes,” that God was able

The Annunciation, El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel Luke 1:26-38 ( NRSV, CatholicEd ) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be

(From John William Waterhouse, via FineArtAmerica.com , used w/o permission.) This morning's Gospel reading is Luke 1:26 - 38 . That's the bit that starts with.... ...This comes a little after an account of Gabriel's interview with Zachariah, Luke 1:10 - 20 . That's when Gabriel personally delivers God's response to Zachariah's prayer: and Zachariah demands proof. Zachariah got proof, all right. He wasn't able to talk for for months. That didn't stop until he agreed with his wife about his son's name: in writing. Elizabeth's name for the boy was John, the same name Gabriel had specified More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

This painting is the first religious painting for John Meng-Frecker. He explains, " I had an amazing experience with this painting.  I had done some oil painting of landscapes but wanted to get a more transparent look.  When I switched to watercolor, I also tried a landscape technique on my first religious painting. Praying the rosary every day led me to try the painting...... Mary’s face came out so delicately appropriate and shadowed from the angel’s light.  I am an amateur painter (my day job is a civil engineer) and not very good at faces.  That moment of grace when the painting appeared so beautifully was my “yes” and my promise to paint the remaining 19 mysteries. read more>

The Annunciation , El Greco, 1595-1600 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. Fr Donnchadh Ó Floinn (1902 - 1968) was a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin who wrote 201 short meditations in Irish Gaelic for  The Far East , the monthly magazine of the Columbans in Ireland, from March 1949 till April 1967. In 2003 they were published by Foilseacháin Ábhair Spioradálta, which specializes in spiritual books in Irish and is run by the Jesuits, under the title  Aibhleoga Crábhaidh ,  ‘Sparks of Devotion’ . Fifty of these had come out in book form before under the same publisher in 1957 with the title  Caoga Árdú Meanman , which could be translated as  'Fifty Raisings of the Spirit’ . The editor of  Aibhleoga Crábhaidh  was Fr Iognáid Ó Maoleachlainn of the Diocese of Ardagh                                                                                                                                                      

Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning  from the sky ."  Luke 10:18  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We know that the devil's sin was pride that caused him to fall for all time.  Let us examine this.  Lucifer is an Angelic intelligence.  Before the fall he was constantly before the face of God, so he knew God, and he knew all God's attributes.  Lucifer knew that God's justice was perfect, if God said it was so, it was right and just. Lucifer new that the will of God was perfect, that if God willed something it was perfect and right.  Lucifer knew God and he knew the love of God.  Yes, God loved Lucifer, His light bearer. The angels have free will just like we do, the danger came when in being God's light bearer, that Lucifer saw himself as having the attributes of God.  He thought because he bore the light, he was the light.  Lucifer also thought God could not do without him.  Lucifer was the light bearer, only  he  could do this job for God, no one else

The Annunciation , Caravaggio , painted 1608-09 Luke 1:26-38 (Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?&q