Feast of the Annunciation
by VP
Posted on Monday April 08, 2024 at 12:19AM in Prayers
Adolphe-William Bouguereau, L'Annunciation 1888
"This being the day on which the Son of God became incarnate, and took flesh of the Blessed Virgin Mary, give thanks to Almighty God for this His infinite mercy in sending His only Son for the redemption of man. Offer yourself for His servant for ever, who for your sake stoops below the degree of a servant. Admire and honour the humility of the Blessed Virgin; who being chosen Mother of Christ, styles herself only His handmaid: and let her humility be your pattern.
The mercy of this day, when God sent His only Son, to become man for our salvation, ought to imprint so lively an idea in the hearts of all Christians, as to lay a foundation of perpetual praise, adoration, and thanksgiving; and oblige them to be faithful in His service for ever. To be wanting in these duties, is a sufficient conviction that they either do not think, or do not believe. For what less can it be than insensibility, to behold this goodness, and not to adore it; to receive such mercies from the hand of God, and to remain cold and ungrateful under them? An eternal homage and fidelity are therefore the indispensable obligations of every Christian; and those who dispense with themselves, do in fact renounce this sacred character. Are we thus to live on, stupid and unthinking, and be sensible of no other effect of these mercies, but that of our greater condemnation, which we shall draw upon ourselves by our neglect, ingratitude, and contempt? While we see the Almighty do so much on His part, something certainly ought to be done on ours. And what can we do better, than follow the pattern before us?
The second Person of the Blessed Trinity this day assumes our human nature, and becomes man. By this ineffable union of God and man, He has taught us that man may be united to God. This then ought to be the concern of our whole lives, to extend in some manner the Incarnation of the Son of God: that as He is made man, so we by putting on Christ, may be so closely united to Him, as to become divine. This union is consummated in heaven, where the blessed souls are wholly absorbed in God: but it is begun, and may be much advanced on earth, whilst Christians being made the adopted children of God, by a participation of the divine nature, may be able to say: We live, and not we, but Christ lives in us. Happy those Christians, who arrive at this point: and happy we, could we this day effectually embrace the method of coming to it.
This can be done only by our constant endeavours to crucify within us the old man, with all its corrupt inclinations and desires, which carry us with violence to sin, to the earth and creatures; and to follow those new impressions, which we receive from God, which separate us from all earthly affections, and raise us to the love of God, and seeking heavenly things. This is taking part with Christ, who, coming to remedy the dismal effects of Adam's fall, teaches his followers to renounce and make war against all that concupiscence, pride, and perverseness, which they inherit from the sin of Adam. For, since Christ and the life which he gives are contrary to Adam, and to the impressions received from him; Christians who put on the new man, and have the spirit of Christ abiding in them, must manifest this new life by stifling all sinful inclinations, and bringing forth the fruits of his Holy Spirit.
In this manner, Christ being the light, which directs their judgment and reason, He being the rule, by which they govern their will and affections; and the source of all that they undertake and do; Christ lives in them, and their life becomes the life of Christ. And though they are still sensible of many corrupt inclinations and natural suggestions in favour of flesh and the world; yet inasmuch as they carefully watch over these, and labour to suppress them, they serve only for their exercise, and daily afford them new matter of triumph. But it cannot be said that they live by them, but rather that they are dead to the world, and have crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences." The Catholic Year by Rev. Fr. John Gother
Prayer to Mary for the Holy Church
Queen of heaven, thy immense love for God maketh thee likewise love His Church. We pray thee, come to its help amidst the ills under which it is now suffering, rent asunder as she is by her own children. Thy prayer, being a mother's, can obtain all from that God Who loveth Thee so well. Pray then, pray for the Church; ask for enlightenment for so many unbelievers who are persecuting it, and obtain for faithful souls the necessary strength to resist being caught in the snares of the unbelievers who would drag them down into their own ruin.
Source: St. Alphonsus' prayer-book, 1888
