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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - March, 2009 [Plain text version]

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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - March, 2009

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IN THIS ISSUE:

* Lenten Greetings

* MCS News & Notes

* Lenten Reflections

* Lenten Practices

* March Feasts

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Dear Friend,

We hope this newsletter finds you having a blessed & holy Lent.

In order not to duplicate last month's newsletter, we would like to point you to the archived version of that newsletter at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/newsletters/mcs_newsletter_02-09.htm for links to the following items which may still be applicable throughout Lent...

* Make Your Own Lent Calendar

* Lent / Easter Activities

* Lenten Coloring Activities

* Lenten Prayers

* Stations of the Cross

* Traditional Practices for Lent / Easter

* Fasting Information

* Fulfilled Scripture Prophecies Regarding Jesus' Passion, Death & Resurrection

* The Passion of Jesus (From the Gospels)

* Jesus' Last Words From The Cross

* Trials & Sorrows of Jesus

* Scripture Regarding Sin

* Reflections Regarding Sin

* Sin & Vice Q & A

* Good Works Reflections

* Information on Penance / Confession

* Definitions (e.g. for terms such as Lent, Ash Wednesday, Easter, Passion Sunday, Passiontide, Septuagesima, Sexagesima, etc.)

* Rome's Lenten Station Churches

* User Posts / Lent

We thank you for being a subscriber to the MyCatholicSource.com mailing list. Please know that we sincerely appreciate feedback regarding our newsletter and our site. Please let us know how we can improve.

In closing, we send our prayers & best wishes that you & your loved ones will continue to have a very holy Lent.

May God bless you always,

Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com

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MCS News & Notes

* We have added the Vatican's You Tube web address to our Catholic Web Links Section. Typically, YouTube web addresses are not permissible in this section, however we have made a special exception for this Vatican URL. To view the Catholic Web Links Section, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/links.htm (to locate Vatican web addresses, select the "search by keyword" option and enter "Vatican")

* We have streamlined the appearance of the Vocations questionnaire and have added an option to submit it to us by e-mail. Please encourage priests & others you know in religious life to complete this questionnaire in order to promote vocations. For more information, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/vocations/the_religious_life.htm

* The user-submitted Latin Mass posture article (When to Sit, Stand & Kneel at the Traditional Latin Mass') is now also available on a single printable sheet. To view this version of the article, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/Flier_Latin_Mass_Postures.pdf 

* We have added some instructions on the site search page to assist visitors who are unsure regarding what search area to use. We hope you will find this information helpful. To view the site search page, visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/search.asp

* Please share your thoughts and opinions with other MyCatholicSource.com visitors. You may post in 100's of categories. See http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/fa/share_your_thoughts.htm for more information

* We're still looking for user-submitted articles on a multitude of topics. Please remember you don't need to be an "expert", you just need to have something informative or interesting to say. We're sure each subscriber to this newsletter could make a valuable contribution of their knowledge / experiences in order to help other visitors. Remember that we may include your name, brief biographical information, e-mail, website address, etc. with your article (if desired - or your article can be listed as "anonymous"). For more information on user-submitted articles, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_articles.htm 

* We've now passed the 500,000 mark on Google ad impressions. Thank you to all who have responded to our ads.

* For those qualifying for free ads on our site, please note that you may still submit your free ad request on any day. You do NOT need to wait for an assigned day. For more information, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cmrc/free_ad_offer_info.htm

* Due to user suggestions, we have made the following changes to the St. Francis Section: 1. Added a Pet Remembrance Page, and 2. Changed 'Special Pets' Listings to allow pet breed / animal type. For more information on these changes and for applicable links, visit our "What's New" page at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/whats_new.htm

* Also visit "Notices" page for "most popular" pages as well as timely news and other important information regarding MyCatholicSource.com - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm

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Lenten Reflections

We hope you will find the following 31 reflections useful for meditation during the month of March.

Note: Please also visit the MCS Daily Digest at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp each day for reflections & other items for each day of the month.

1 - "All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him." (Ps. 21:8-9)

2 - "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.'" (Mt. 16:24)

3 - "And he taketh Peter and James and John with him: and he began to fear and to be heavy. And he saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch." (Mk. 14:33-34)

4 - "What was the life of Christ but a perpetual humiliation?" (St. Vincent de Paul)

5 - "Indeed, nothing is greater than yourself, and you have given yourself to mankind on the cross." (St. Columbanus)

6 - "And the men that held him mocked him and struck him. And they blindfolded him and smote his face. And they asked him saying: Prophesy: Who is it that struck thee? And blaspheming, many other things they said against him." (Lk. 22:63-65)

7 - "Indeed, if one thing more than another presents difficulty to the mind and understanding of man, assuredly it is the mystery of the cross, which, beyond all doubt, must be considered the most difficult of all; so much so that only with great difficulty can we grasp the fact that our salvation depends on the cross, and on Him who for us was nailed thereon." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

8 - "Besides these incomparable blessings, we have also received another of the highest importance; namely, that in the Passion alone we have the most illustrious example of the exercise of every virtue. For He so displayed patience, humility, exalted charity, meekness, obedience and unshaken firmness of soul, not only in suffering for justice' sake, but also in meeting death, that we may truly say on the day of His Passion alone, our Savior offered, in His own Person, a living exemplification of all the moral precepts inculcated during the entire time of His public ministry." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

9 - "[N]o one can obtain salvation unless through Christ and the merits of His Passion." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

10 - "What is a man able to find so valuable that he can give it for the ransom of his soul? Yet one thing was found that was worth as much as all men together. It was given as the ransom price for our souls, the holy and most precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He poured out for all of us; we were, therefore, 'bought dearly'." (St. Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church)

11 - "The Lord having taken upon Him all the infirmities of our body, is then covered with the scarlet colored blood of all the martyrs, to whom is due the kingdom with Him; He is crowned with thorns, that is, with the sins of the Gentiles who once pierced Him, for there is a prick in thorns of which is woven the crown of victory for Christ. In the reed, He takes into His hand and supports the weakness and frailty of the Gentiles; and His head is smitten therewith that the weakness of the Gentiles sustained by Christ's hand may rest on God the Father, who is His head." (St. Hilary of Piotiers, Doctor of the Church)

12 - "And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to buffet him and to say unto him: Prophesy. And the servants struck him with the palms their hands." (Mk. 14:65)

13 - "You cannot better appreciate your worth than by looking into the mirror of the Cross of Christ; there you will learn how you are to deflate your pride, how you must mortify the desires of the flesh, how you are to pray to your Father for those who persecute you, and to commend your spirit into God's hands." (St. Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church)

14 - "We love a thing in proportion to what it has cost us. You may judge by that of our Lord's love for our soul, which has cost him his Blood." (St. John Vianney)

15 - "Should anyone inquire why the Son of God underwent His most bitter Passion, he will find that besides the guilt inherited from our first parents the principal causes were the vices and crimes which have been perpetrated from the beginning of the world to the present day and those which will be committed to the end of time." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

16 - "They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause. My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not away." (Ps. 68:5)

17 - "What, O Lord, could more clearly show me than do thy Wounds, that thou art sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy?" (St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church)

18 - "He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (St. Peter, 1 Pt. 2:24)

19 - "Let us go often to the foot of the Cross... We shall learn there what God has done for us, and what we ought to do for him." (St. John Vianney)

20 - "Let Him be fixed deep in your heart, who for you was fastened to the cross" (St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church)

21 - "Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:6-11)

22 - "Death blossomed in paradise but was slain on the cross." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church)

23 - "In the consideration of Christ's Passion there is something that causes sorrow, namely, the human defect, the removal of which made it necessary for Christ to suffer (Luke 24:25); and there is something that causes joy, namely, God's loving-kindness to us in giving us such a deliverance." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

24 - "From the sufferings and death of Christ we learn God's love for man and the evil of sin, for which God, who is all-just, demands such great satisfaction." (Baltimore Catechism)

25 - "No, it is not enough for our salvation that Jesus Christ has died for us; it is also necessary that the fruit of His Passion and death be applied to each one of us, which is accomplished especially by means of the Sacraments instituted for this end by Jesus Christ Himself; and as many either do not receive the Sacraments at all, or do not receive them well, they thus render the death of Jesus Christ useless in their regard." (Catechism of Pope St. Pius X)

26 - "In thy sight are all they that afflict me; my heart hath expected reproach and misery. And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none. And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Ps. 68:21-22)

27 - "...the Master takes upon Himself the stripes belonging to the servant, the servant is glorified by the glory of the Master. That is why the cross can be called the cross of the Lord of Glory, and why every tongue can confess, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord." (St. Gregory of Nyssa, circa 380 A.D.)

28 - "I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again." (Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jn. 10:14-15, 18)

29 - "O Jesus, most glorious in your magnificence: I praise and bless your incomprehensible omnipotence, weak and helpless for us in the Passion. I adore and glorify your unsearchable wisdom, accounted foolishness for us. I praise and magnify your unutterable love, which submitted to hatred of all people for the sake of your elect. I praise and extol your meek and gentle mercy, sentenced to so fearful a death for humankind. I praise and I adore your ravishing sweetness, embittered for us by your most bitter death. Amen." (St. Mechtilde)

30 - "The cross is the ladder to Heaven." (Catechism of the Cure de Ars)

31 - "[Jesus] summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, 'Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.'" (Mk. 8:34)

For more reflections on the Passion, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/catholic_basics_reflections_The_Passion.htm

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Lenten Practices

It is customary to perform various acts of penance / mortification during Lent. To that end, we hope you will find the following ideas helpful. Please note that it is not recommended to take on too many activities as you will likely become discouraged. It may be best to take a few small steps and work up from there as you are able. [Of course, you must always be certain to do at least the minimum required by the Church.]

All days (as applicable)

* Fasting / Abstinence

* Mortification

* Increased Prayer

Also consider:

* Almsgiving

* Spiritual Reading

* Charitable Works

* More Frequent Mass Attendance

* Praying Additional Rosaries

* Making Eucharistic Visits / Holy Hours

* Making Reparation For Another

* Gaining Indulgences [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/indulgences.htm for indulgence information]

* Making an Examination of Conscience More Frequently

* More Frequent Confessions

* Participating in the Stations of the Cross [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/prayers_and_devotions/stations_of_the_cross.htm for traditional Way of the Cross]

* Meditation on Christ's Passion

* Reflection on the Last Things (Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven)

* Aiding the Poor Souls

* More Frequent Invocation of Saints

* Increased Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm for devotion to the Seven Sorrows]

* More Frequent Aspirations [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_aspirations.htm for aspirations]

* More Frequent Use of Holy Water

* Making the Sign of the Cross More Frequently

* Praying Novenas

* Participating in Litanies

* Making Increased Use of Sacrmentals

* Observing Periods of Holy Silence

* Willingly Participating in Disagreeable Tasks

* Avoiding Certain Pleasurable Foods / Beverages

* Other Acts of Self-Denial

* Giving a Spiritual Bouquet to Someone [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_other_activities.htm for spiritual bouquet card (scroll down to end of page, under "Other")]

* Offering Masses For Others

* Offering Up Your Sufferings for Others

* Making a Pilgrimage

* Making a Prayer Commitment (visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_activities_prayer_counters.htm for more information)

* Participating in Traditional Spiritual Exercises

* Performing Works of Mercy (visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_works_of_mercy.htm for more information)

* Making an Especially Careful Effort to Avoid Occasions of Sin

* Making a Special Effort to Practice Contradictory Virtues to Your Most Difficult Vices ["When we are assailed by some vice, we must, as far as possible, embrace the practice of the contrary virtue." (St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church)]

 

Do You Also...?

* Pray the Rosary Daily [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/rosary/daily_rosary.htm for more information]

* Wear the Miraculous Medal [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm for more information]

* Wear the Scapular [visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/scapulars.htm for more information]

Note that if you want, you can select certain activities and put them on a Lenten calendar (visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/lent_calendar.htm to make your own Lent calendar). You might also consider noting down various items and putting them in a jar to select from daily.

If you have good ideas not listed here, please share them with others. Please post them in the Catholic Life Section under the topic "Holidays / Seasonal" [see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/udi/ai/catholic_life_add.asp ] or under the Latin Mass Section under the topic "Catholic Traditions: Customs & Practices" [see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/udi/ai/latin_mass_and_tradition_add.asp ]

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March Feasts

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Some Feasts in March Include...

  * 3/17 - St. Patrick

  * 3/19 - St. Joseph

  * 3/25 - The Annunciation

Note: For other feasts in March, visit: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cd/feasts_search_month.asp and select "March"

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- - - - - + St. Patrick (March 17 ) + - - - - -

The following prayer is called "The Breastplate of St. Patrick" (or "The Lorica")

Reference: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_of_saints_pp3803.htm

"I bind to myself today the strong power of an invocation of the Trinity, the faith of the Trinity in Unity, the Creator of the Universe. I bind to myself today the might of the Incarnation of Christ with that of His Baptism, the might of His Crucifixion with that of His Burial, the might of His Resurrection with that of His Ascension, the might of His Coming on the Judgment Day. I bind to myself today the power in the love of the Seraphim, in the obedience of the Angels, in the ministration of the Archangels, in the hope of Resurrection unto reward, in the prayers of the Patriarchs, in the predictions of the Prophets, in the preaching of the Apostles, in the faith of the Confessors, in the purity of the holy Virgins, in the deeds of righteous men. I bind to myself today the power of Heaven, the brightness of the sun, the whiteness of snow, the splendor of fire, the speed of lightening, the swiftness of wind, the depth of the sea, the stability of the Earth, the firmness of rocks. I bind to myself today God's Power to pilot me, God's Might to uphold me, God's Wisdom to teach me, God's Eye to watch over me, God's Ear to hear me, God's Word to give me speech, God's Hand to guide me, God's Way to lie before me, God's Shield to shelter me, God's Host to secure me. Against the snares of demons, against the seductions of vices, against the lusts of nature, against everyone who meditates injury to me, whether far or near, whether few or with many. I invoke today all these virtues against every hostile merciless power which may assail my body and my soul, against the incantations of false prophets, against the black laws of heathenism, against the false laws of heresy, against the deceits of idolatry, against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids, against every knowledge that blinds the soul of man. Christ protect me today against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, that I may receive abundant reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ under me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left, Christ in lying down, Christ in sitting, Christ in rising up. Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. I bind to myself today the strong power of an invocation of the Trinity, The faith of the Trinity in Unity, the Creator of the Universe. Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of the Lord, Salvation is of Christ; May Your salvation, O Lord, be with us forever. Amen."

Did you know? With reference to St. Patrick, the shamrock is actually a religious symbol. St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach about the Trinity. Visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_shamrock.htm for a shamrock coloring page.

 

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St. Joseph is a most powerful intercessor. Consider the following quotations:

"Though thou hast recourse to many saints as thine intercessors, go especially to St. Joseph, for he has great power with God." (St. Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church)

"Would that I could persuade all men to be devoted to this glorious Saint [St. Joseph], for I know by long experience what blessings he can obtain for us from God." (St. Therese of Avila, Doctor of the Church)

"Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all causes, in every necessity, in every undertaking." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")

Fore more reflections on St. Joseph, visit: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/saints_reflections_saints_st_joseph.htm

For prayers to St. Joseph, visit: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_St_Joseph.htm

For encyclical on devotion to St. Joseph, visit: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/quamquam_pluries.htm

 

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The following contains a definition of the Annunciation and some relevant quotations...

"[The Annunciation is the] actual moment of the Incarnation, when the angel announced to our Lady that God the Son was to be born of her (Luke i, 26-38)" (Catholic Dictionary)

"The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation day - the day on which the angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she was to be the Mother of God." (Baltimore Catechism)

"For what greater thing is there than that God should become man?" (St. John of Damascus, Doctor of the Church)

"The Archangel Gabriel told Mary, in the Annunciation, that the Son who was to be born of her should be a King, and that of his Kingdom there should be no end. Hence, when the Magi were led from the East to the Crib of Jesus, they proclaimed it in Jerusalem that they came to seek a King." (Gueranger)

"Among the external operations of God, the highest of all is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, in which the splendor of the divine perfections shines forth so brightly that nothing more sublime can even be imagined, nothing else could have been more salutary to the human race." (Pope Leo XIII, "Divinum Illud Munus", 1897 A.D.)

"The holy Fathers, true witnesses of the divinely revealed doctrine, wonderfully understood what St. Paul the Apostle had quite clearly declared; namely, that the mystery of love was, as it were, both the foundation and the culmination of the Incarnation and the Redemption. For frequently and clearly we can read in their writings that Jesus Christ took a perfect human nature and our weak and perishable human body with the object of providing for our eternal salvation, and of revealing to us in the clearest possible manner that His infinite love for us could express itself in human terms." (Pope Pius XII, "Haurietis Aquas", 1956 A.D.)

"From the very beginning of the virginal conception a unity of Person so remained in Christ, and the unconfused reality of both natures so perdured, that neither could the Man be torn asunder from God, nor could God be separated from the Man assumed. Nevertheless, the divinity did not consume the humanity, nor did the humanity change the divinity into something else; and, granted that at the death of Christ the soul would depart from the dying flesh, nevertheless, the divinity of Christ could not be separated from either the soul or the flesh assumed." (St. Fulgence of Ruspe, 6th century A.D.)

"For the Son of God in the fullness of time which the inscrutable depth of the Divine counsel has determined, has taken on him the nature of man, thereby to reconcile it to its Author: in order that the inventor of death, the devil, might be conquered through that (nature) which he had conquered. And in this conflict undertaken for us, the fight was fought on great and wondrous principles of fairness; for the Almighty Lord enters the lists with His savage foe not in His own majesty but in our humility, opposing him with the same form and the same nature, which shares indeed our mortality, though it is free from all sin." (Pope St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church)

"The Eternal Son of God, about to take upon Him our nature for the saving and ennobling of man, and about to consummate thus a mystical union between Himself and all mankind, did not accomplish His design without adding there the free consent of the elect Mother, who represented in some sort all human kind, according to the illustrious and just opinion of St. Thomas, who says that the Annunciation was effected with the consent of the Virgin standing in the place of humanity. With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ. Thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother. How great are the goodness and mercy revealed in this design of God! What a correspondence with the frailty of man! We believe in the infinite goodness of the Most High, and we rejoice in it; we believe also in His justice and we fear it. We adore the beloved Savior, lavish of His blood and of His life; we dread the inexorable Judge. Thus do those whose actions have disturbed their consciences need an intercessor mighty in favor with God, merciful enough not to reject the cause of the desperate, merciful enough to lift up again towards hope in the divine mercy the afflicted and the broken down. Mary is this glorious intermediary; she is the mighty Mother of the Almighty; but - what is still sweeter - she is gentle, extreme in tenderness, of a limitless loving-kindness. As such God gave her to us. Having chosen her for the Mother of His only begotten Son, He taught her all a mother's feeling that breathes nothing but pardon and love. Such Christ desired she should be, for He consented to be subject to Mary and to obey her as a son a mother. Such He proclaimed her from the cross when he entrusted to her care and love the whole of the race of man in the person of His disciple John. Such, finally, she proves herself by her courage in gathering in the heritage of the enormous labors of her Son, and in accepting the charge of her maternal duties towards us all." (Pope Leo XIII, "Octobri Mense", 1891)

"And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying, and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren: Because no word shall be impossible with God. And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house." (Lk. 1:26-56)

Annunciation Coloring Pages:

http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_annunciation.htm

http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/coloring_book_annunciation_stained_glass.htm

The Annunciation is the First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary - see the Holy Rosary Section at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/holy_rosary.htm

For More on the Annunciation, Please try the Mary, Our Mother Section at: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm

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Closing quotes

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2:2)

"What was done on Calvary avails for us only in the degree that we repeat it in our own lives." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)

"The Mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross because in the Mass the victim is the same, and the principal priest is the same, Jesus Christ." (Baltimore Catechism)

"Take the holy crucifix in your hands, kiss its wounds with great love, and ask Him to preach you a sermon. Listen to what the thorns, the nails, and that Divine Blood say to you. Oh! What a sermon." (St. Paul of the Cross)

"He should also be taught not to suffer a day to pass without devoting a portion of it to meditation on some mystery of the Passion of our Lord, and to exciting and inflaming himself to the imitation and most ardent love of his Redeemer." (Catechism of the Council of Trent)

"Here learn the science of the saints: All is to be found in the passion of Jesus." (St. Paul of the Cross)

"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended all these words, he said to his disciples: You know that after two days shall be the pasch: and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified." (Mt. 26:1-2)

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