Hail Mary Full of Grace

The Annunciation of the Lord
Solemnity

SCRIPTURE
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; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
Lk.1:26

OBSERVATION
The fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy finally happens, starting with the annunciation by the angel Gabriel to Mary.  Luke records the process Mary goes through as Gabriel reveals God's plan of salvation for the world and her role in that plan.  First, she was deeply disturbed.  Then she asks an honest question: "But how can this come about...?".  Finally, she accepts: "I am the handmaiden of the Lord..."

APPLICATION
Mary is the clearest role model of what a follower of Christ, a Christian, is like.  Sometimes, like Mary, I am afraid.  She says that's OK.  Sometimes, like Mary, I question things, even God's plans.  Mary says that's OK.  Sometimes, like Mary, in faith I accept  those plans.  This is the objective of the previous two steps, complete acceptance of God in my life.  And when this happens, oh what will be birthed in me!

PRAYER
Hail Mary, full of grace.  The Lord is with thee.  Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

The Way Out

SCRIPTURE
So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.
Numbers 21:9

OBSERVATION
The Israelites are on their great exodus in the desert escaping from slavery.  They loose patience, speaking against Moses and even against God.  The result is a plague of fiery serpents that kills many of them.  But God gives a way out, the bronze serpent on a standard for them to look upon and live.  In today's Gospel Jesus refers to this Old Testament event when He says, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know...".

APPLICATION
There are times when I loose patience and I speak against Moses (the Church) and even against God.  There are two things for me to note here.  First, when I loose patience this way I am risking much, even my very (eternal) life.  Secondly, God still provides me a way out, His Son lifted up on a cross.
The shadow of the cross looms larger across the landscape as I approach Holy Week and my focus turns to the Passion and Death of Jesus.  I recognise this as my "way out".  God loved (me) so much that He sent His one and only Son...

PRAYER
Lord by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set me free.  You are the Saviour of the world!
Little Flower, please pray for me.

My God, What Love is This?

SCRIPTURE
Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee?’... So the people could not agree about him.
Jn.7:40

OBSERVATION
Jesus is becoming more forthright in proclaiming who He is and this disturbs the people.  Some agree, some disagree, some scoff.  The Pharisees note the agitation and step up their plans to silence Jesus.  The shadow of the cross looms larger across the landscape.

APPLICATION
The unequivocal claims of Jesus about His divinity have always been the bone of contention.  Many agree Jesus was a wise and good man who existed in history, some even recognise him as a prophet... but God?  If I don't believe in Jesus' divinity then I am not a believer.  Jesus' complete nature in being fully man AND fully God is fundamental to my Christian faith.  It is the only thing that makes sense of His death.  It defines the infinite love that God the Father has for me. "For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son...".  For God so loved me!
Today the divinity of Christ reminds me I am infinitely loveable and infinitely loved.

PRAYER
Thank you Father for loving me so much that you sent your one and only Son so that I will not perish but have eternal life.
Little Flower, please pray for me.

A Man of Honour

Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary.

SCRIPTURE
Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally.
Matthew 1:19


OBSERVATION
Joseph has just learnt that his betrothed is pregnant, and he knows the child isn't his...  I often overlook the trauma this must have been for Joseph.  All his dreams for a future with a faithful wife, the family they would raise... shattered. The miracle is that he didn't react out of his pain and at the very least have Mary publicly humiliated.  But he gave up his rights and was going to divorce Mary quietly "to spare her...".  This says something about the depth of character of the man.  God entrusted to Joseph His two most precious things, His son and the mother of His son.  God new Joseph had steady hands, that he was "a man of honour".


APPLICATION
Oh to be recorded in the Book of Life as a "Man of Honour".  The little that is recorded of the man Joseph is still enough to make him my hero.  What a role-model. Today I hold up Saint Joseph before me as a reference point for how I live my day as a husband, as a father, as a man... as a man of honour.


PRAYER
Saint Joseph, please pray for me.

Eternal Life

SCRIPTURE
‘You study the scriptures, believing that in them you have eternal life; now these same scriptures testify to me, and yet you refuse to come to me for life!"

Jn.5:39,40

OBSERVATION

Jesus has just healed the man lying beside the pool in Jerusalem, attracting the wrath of the Pharisees because it was "work" done on the Sabbath. Here He addresses the Pharisees explaining what it is He is offering them (eternal life) and by whose authority He offers it (God the Father’s).

These particular verses are all the more significant when I realise what is coming in the next chapter of John; John Chapter 6 is the great discourse Jesus gives on the Eucharist…

"I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.⁵⁴Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day”. (Jn.6:53,54)

The accusation from Jesus about those studying scriptures and still refusing to come to Him for life is just as true for many today.

APPLICATION

Holy Eucharist is such I gift that I often take for granted.  I forget that Jesus has promised me eternal life when I eat His flesh and drink His blood.  What a wonderful promise!  Today I need to go to Mass with this renewed appreciation of who it is and what it is I am receiving.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, I come to you today for eternal life.

Little Flower, please pray for me.

Get up and Walk!

SCRIPTURE

‘Do you want to be well again?’ ‘Sir,’ replied the sick man ‘I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.’ Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’
Jn.5:6-8

OBSERVATION
Jesus is in Jerusalem and is moved with pity for the one sick man among the many lame and crippled who are lying there waiting for a miracle.  Jesus heals the man on the Sabbath, incurring the wrath of the Pharisees who intensify their persecution of Him.

OBSERVATION
On more than one occasion in the Gospels it is recorded where Jesus asks this type of question of a person who is obviously in need.  "Do you want to be well again?"  The question demands a response.  The sick man in this story responds by telling Jesus why he can't be healed.  Jesus then tells him how he can be healed, "Get up... and walk".  There is healing power in simply recognising Jesus' authority over sickness and acting on it.  Then man gets up, and he walks!
I am sick.  The illness of sin lies in me and cripples me.  Jesus asks me, "Do you want to be well again? Do I give Jesus excuses for my ailment, or do I recognise the authority of Jesus over my sickness?
Today I choose to get up... and walk!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus.  Thank you that You bring me life and life in abundance. You are my Hope and Joy!
Little Flower, please pray for me.

Love God and Love Others

SCRIPTURE
 Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’
Mark 12:29-31


OBSERVATION
Jesus is replying to a question from a scribe, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’  No doubt the question was more about testing Jesus than from a real desire to know.  But Jesus took the question at face value and went deeper with it, knowing it would reveal not only a truth to the world but a truth about the scribe himself.  The scribe was taken past his cynicism to a genuine truth that lay deeper within him: he loved God and he loved others.  The scribe's spontaneous response showed who he really was and led Jesus to proclaim, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’


APPLICATION
Loving God and loving others does that.  It gets past all my human pride, my judgmental-ism, my greed, my lustfulness.  In short, it gets past my brokenness, which is still there like the scribe's, and allows the real me to shine...  the me God made me to be.  It truly is the most important thing for me today.


PRAYER
Lord Jesus, today I want to be not far from the Kingdom of God.  Teach me how to love.
Little Flower, please pray for me.