Thoughts of Mary – 27 May – The Annunciation

Thoughts of Mary – 27 May – “Mary’s Month”

The Annunciation
Moments with Saint Pope John XXIII (1881-1963)

“This is the first shining point of union between heaven and earth – the first of those events which were to be the greatest of all time.
The Son of God, Word of the Father, “without whom was not anything made that was made” (John 1:3), in the order of creation, in this mystery takes on human nature and becomes a man, in order to save and redeem all men, all mankind.

When Mary Immaculate, the finest and most fragrant flower of all creation, said in answer to the angel’s greeting:  “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” (Luke 1:38), she accepted the honour of divine motherhood, which was, in that moment, realised within her.
And we, born once in our father Adam, formerly the adopted sons of God but fallen from that high estate, are now once more brothers, adopted sons of the Father, restored to His adoption by the redemption which was already begun.
At the foot of the Cross, we shall all be children of Mary, with that same Jesus, whom she has conceived on that day.
From that day onwards, she will be Mother of God (Mater Dei) and our Mother (Mater Nostra) too.

What sublimity, what tender love is this first mystery!

When we reflect on this, we see that our chief and constant duty is, to thank the Lord who deigned to come to save us and for this purpose, made Himself man, our brother man;  He has joined us by becoming the Son of a woman and by making us, at the foot of the Cross, the adopted sons of this woman.   He wanted us, who were the adopted sons of His Heavenly Father, to be the sons of His own Mother.

Let the intention of our prayer, as we contemplate this first picture offered to our thoughts, be, besides a constant feeling of gratitude, a real and sincere effort to acquire humility, purity and ardent love for the Blessed Virgin, who provides the most precious example of all these virtues.”