Monday, March 25, 2019 - Annunciation

God made you as you are in order to use you as He planned.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of our Lord i.e. nine months before Christmas Day, December 25.

This is another Solemnity that falls during Lent. The Gloria and Nicene Creed are prayed during the Liturgy of the Mass. During the creed at the words "By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary and became man" we kneel or bow down. This day celebrates the actual Incarnation of Christ, the day the Son of God became man when Mary spoke her Fiat, or "yes" to God. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said “Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee.”  The words of the Angel Gabriel are so special, that they became a part of the Hail Mary.

Scripture ...

Luke 22:35 - 38

Reflections ...

The meal is complete and Jesus prepares to leave the guest room. But first He wants to make His disciples aware that their world will change drastically this day. It will become a much more violent and dangerous place.

Up to now Jesus has been quite popular. Everywhere He went with His disciples throughout Galilee they found friends who welcomed them into their homes and fed them. And it was that popularity that was frustrating Jewish leaders, making it impossible for them to lay their hands on Jesus. But today that will end.

When Jesus is crucified, many Jews will misjudge the evidence. They will falsely assume the cross proves the carpenter from Nazareth is a fake and a fraud.

The coming situation will become desperate. The disciples will need a cloak because they will no longer be welcomed into peoples’ houses. But the danger of physical violence is so great they would be wise to sell their cloaks for swords, and shiver through the night. For Jesus’ sake they will soon face opposition, arrest, mistreatment and martyrdom.

When the disciples report they have two swords, Jesus tells them it is enough. He doesn’t intend to make them a defensive fighting force; instead, He wants to make them aware of the deadly hostility the Gospel message will bring. When these apostles tell Jews and Gentiles that a man crucified as a criminal is their Savior—they will face great persecution.

Prayer ...
Lord Jesus, our brother and sister Christians throughout the world face great opposition and danger, even death. Shield and defend all those who are being attacked for their faith, and give them courage and faith to boldly stand and declare Your Name. And move their persecutors to repentance and faith. Amen.

Lenten Challenge for today …

Do the “dirty work” which otherwise you would expect others to do for you.  Go out of your comfort zone for a change. Don’t just clean, spend a little time longer perfecting that clean and sparkling finish!

Hymn ...

Quiz ...

1. Click the correct option.

2. Click Submit

3. Scroll up and click View Accuracy to see your result.

4. Have fun while you learn your faith.

Credits:

Thanks to various sites for the ideas .  I have tailored the materials accordingly to suit my needs.

Countdown calendar - https://www.timeanddate.com/clocks/freecountdown.html

Reflections and prayer – https://www.lhm.org/

Luke 22 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttt4pQe_zFE