| Wed Mar 25 | am: 119:145-176 pm: 128, 129, 130 | Exod 7:8-24 | 2 Cor 2:14-3:6 | Mark 10:1-16 |
FIFTH WEDNESDAY OF LENT – The Solemnity of the Feast of the Annunciation
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: This feast was established by the ancient church. St. Athanasius of Alexandria, in his sermon on this feast, names it first and specially honors it in the order of feasts, as he recalls the beginning of the economy of the salvation of the people. In the 5th and 6th centuries, because of heresies, which humiliate the person of the Mother of God and deform the teaching of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, presented separately, prompted the Church to magnify the celebration of the feast. Ancient Christians had various names for this feast: “Conception of Christ”, “Annunciation about Christ”, “Beginning of Redemption”, and “Annunciation of the Angel to Mary”. But by the 7th century, the name as it stands today was universal. According to ancient custom, the tradition of the Church placing this feast on March 25 stands in natural agreement with December 25.
BIBLICAL MEDITATION OF THE DAY- The Annunciation—when the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God—is a moment that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. In that same breath of divine invitation, Psalm 128 offers a timeless portrait of blessedness that resonates deeply with Mary’s “yes.” Psalm 128 opens, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.” To fear the Lord is not to tremble in terror but to stand in reverent awe of God’s holiness and love. Mary embodied this posture. When the angel declared, “You will conceive and give birth to a son…,” her response—“Let it be to me according to your word”—was an act of humble obedience rooted in deep reverence. Her fear of the Lord opened the way for the blessing spoken of in the psalm. As we contemplate this holy day, let us pray that our own hearts may echo Mary’s fear of the Lord, that we may become vessels of the same fruitfulness and peace that Psalm 128 celebrates. May the mystery of the Incarnation transform our families, our communities, and ultimately, the world, into a living testament of God’s enduring blessing.
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Almighty God, who in the fullness of Your mercy chose the virgin Mary to be the vessel of Your Son, grant us the grace to receive the mystery of the Incarnation with the same humble “yes” that she gave. May the Word made flesh dwell in our hearts, bring forth the fruits of righteousness, and lead us to live as witnesses of Your everlasting love. Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Through a woman [Eve] a curse fell upon the earth; through a woman [Mary] there returned to the earth, a blessing!”..” –St. Theodore the Studite
Lenten Discipline – Read and meditate on the story of the Annunciation in Luke 1:26–53.
Rosary and donate to a local pregnancy resource center, or support mothers in need.
SONG OF THE HEART, SONG OF THE SEASON – Sing of Mary ( Pleading Savior)