Monday, April 23, 2018

Saints + Scripture: The Annunciation of the Lord

Eastertide — Monday, 9 April | The Long Road Back, Part V of VIII

The Popish Plot
Prayer Time Out: "More Prayer Clips"

Monday, 9 April was Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord: Annunciation-link ūnus, Annunciation-link duo, Wikipedia-link Annunciation, & Wikipedia-link Solemnity.


Commentary: Wayback Machine. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is celebrated on 25 March, nine months before Christmas, except in the not-infrequent case that 25 March falls within either Holy Week or the Octave of Easter, in which case it is celebrated on the Monday after the Octave.

Quoth the Holy Redeemer bulletin:
The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates the angel Gabriel's appearance to the Virgin Mary (Luke, 1:26-38), his announcement that the Blessed Virgin had been chosen to be the mother of Our Lord, & Mary's fiat—her willing acceptance of God's holy plan.
Scripture of That Day
Mass Readings—Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
The Book of Isaiah, chapter seven, verses ten thru fourteen;
Psalm Forty, verses seven & eight(a), eight(b) & nine, ten, & eleven;
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter ten, verses four thru ten;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter one, verses twenty-six thru thirty-eight.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, in today’s Gospel of Luke, we find the Annunciation to Mary. Here is what Gabriel said to the Virgin: “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus….The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall 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 would rule forever and for all nations. This definitive king of the Jews would be king of the world. He would be our king, as well.
Video reflection by Msgr. James Vlaun (Telecare T.V.): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.




Otherwise, 9 April would have been the festival of Saint Materiana, Confessor (born circa 440; also spelt Madrun, Madryn), Queen of Gwent: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Waltrude, Religious (died circa 687, of Mons; also spelt Waudru, etc.): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Daughter of Ss. Walbert of Hainault [11 May] & Bertille of Thuringia [3 January]; sister of St. Aldegundis [30 January]; wife of St. Vincent Madelgarius [20 September]; & mother of Ss. Landericus of Soignies [17 April], Dentelin [?], Aldetrude [25 February], & Madelberte [7 September].

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Hugh of Rouen, Bishop & Abbot, O.S.B. (died 730, A.K.A. of Champagne): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also have been the festival of Saint Casilda of Toledo, Anchoress (died circa 1050, A.K.A. of Briviesca): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' That Day
"The Divine is united to the human. The invisible has become visible."
—Pope St. John Paul II (the Great, 1920-2005; feast day: 22 October)
Little Flower Quote o' That Day
"We who run in the way of love shouldn't be thinking of sufferings that can take place in the future: it's a lack of confidence, it's like meddling in the work of creation."
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
Saint Quote o' That Day
"Prayer is, beyond doubt, the most powerful weapon the Lord gives us to conquer evil… but we must really put ourselves into the prayer, it is not enough just to say the words, it must come from the heart. And also prayer needs to be continuous, we must pray no matter what kind of situation we find ourselves in: the warfare we are engaged in is ongoing, so our prayer must be on-going also."
—St. Alphonsus Ligouri, Doctor of the Church (1696-1787, feast day: 1 August)

No comments: