The Annunciation. The Annunciation of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ
Invitation
May I draw your attention to the daily reading of the Gospel?
This invitation aims to share with you the joy of the Gospel. Everyone, without exception, can experience that joy by opening their heart to the healing power of God’s word.
Available every day.
Consideration The passage describing the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary bears all the hallmarks of a vocation story. The initiative comes from God; there is a greeting accompanied by the promise of God’s closeness; Mary is, in fact, given a new name that expresses her mission: ‘the Blessed One’. In Christ, God will free us from sin, and we shall share in the glory of his divine life. True freedom is Mary’s ‘yes’. Can we, with the same‘yes’, surrender ourselves to the message of Jesus? FIRST READING Isa. 7, 10–14 Behold, the virgin shall conceive, From the Prophet Isaiah In those days Isaiah spoke to Ahaz: “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether high in heaven or deep in hell.” But Ahaz replied: “I will not ask for a sign; I will not put the Lord to the test.” And Isaiah said: “Hear then, house of David, is it not enough for you to provoke people, that you would also provoke my God? “Therefore the Lord will give you a sign without your asking: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and she shall call his name ‘Immanuel’: ‘God-with-us’” INTERLUDIUM Ps . 40(39), 7-8, 9, 10, 11 Yes, I am coming, Lord, to do your will. You have never asked for gifts or sacrifices, but you have opened my ears to your voice. You do not ask for burnt offerings or sin offerings from me; so I said: yes, I am coming, as it is written of me. To do your will, my God, is my joy; your law is written upon my heart. In the assemblies I have proclaimed justice; my lips have not been sealed, Lord, you know it. I have not kept your benefits hidden in my heart; I have made known your faithfulness, your help. I have not kept your favours secret, nor your faithfulness, from those around me. SECOND READING Heb.10, 4–10 In the scroll it is written of me: ‘I have come, O God, to do your will.’ From the Letter to the Hebrews Brothers and sisters, It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. That is why Christ says, when he comes into the world: ‘You did not desire sacrifices and offerings, but you prepared a body for me. “Burnt offerings and sin offerings were not pleasing to You. “Then I said: Here I am. “As it is written about me in the scroll: I have come, O God, to do Your will.” First He says: “Sacrifices and offerings, You did not desire burnt offerings and sin offerings; they could not please You, though the law prescribes that they must be offered.” And then He says: “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” He thus abolishes the first to establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified, once and for all, through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ. VERS BEFORE THE GOSPEL John 1, 14ab (Alleluia.) The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory. (Alleluia.) GOSPEL Luke 1, 26-38 You will conceive and give birth to a son. From the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke At that time, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, you are blessed among women.” She was greatly troubled by these words; and she wondered what this greeting might mean. But the angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. “Behold, you will conceive 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. “The Lord God will give 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.” But Mary said to the angel: “How can this be, since I have no husband?” To this the angel replied: “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. “Know that even Elizabeth, your relative, has conceived a son in her old age; and though she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month; for nothing is impossible with God.” Then Mary said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.Laudato Si
Encyclical of
POPE FRANCIS
On Care for Our Common Home
67. We are not God. The earth precedes us and has been given to us. This fact allows us to respond to an accusation levelled against Judeo-Christian thought: it has been said that based on the account in Genesis, which invites us to subdue the earth (cf. Gen. 1:28), we would promote a reckless exploitation of nature through an image of man as ruler and destroyer. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible, as the Church understands it. Even if it is true that Christians have sometimes interpreted the Scriptures incorrectly, we must today firmly reject the notion that an absolute dominion over other creatures may be derived from the fact that we are created in the image of God and from the command to subdue the earth. It is important to read the biblical texts in their context using sound hermeneutics and to remember that they invite us to ‘cultivate and keep’ the garden of the world (cf. Gen. 2:15). Whilst ‘cultivate’ means to plough and work the land, ‘keep’ means to protect, care for, safeguard, preserve, and keep watch over. This implies a relationship of responsible reciprocity between humanity and nature. Every community may take from the earth what it needs for its own survival, but it also has the duty to protect it and to ensure the continuity of its fertility for future generations. Finally, “the earth is the Lord’s” (Ps. 24:1); to Him belongs “the earth and all that is in it” (Deut. 10:14). Therefore, God rejects any claim to absolute ownership: “The sale of land must not preclude its redemption, for the land belongs to Me; you are strangers and sojourners” (Lev. 25:23). To be continued Every day at 1 am The Bible text in this edition is taken fromThe New Bible Translation, ©Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap 2004/2007. Reflections from Liturgical Suggestions for Weekdays and Sundays Laudato Si Official English translation ________________________________________________________________________