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THE ANNUNCIATION OF JESUS -
THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL ANNOUNCES THE INCARNATION
The second Evangelical visitation did not take place in the grandeur of the Temple but significantly in the privacy of a humble home at Nazareth. Five months after Elizabeth's sacred retirement awaiting the birth of John, the forerunner of the Christ of Israel, the Angel Gabriel now appeared to Mary, betrothed to Joseph. In her retirement he appeared to her saying, 'Peace to thee, the Lord is with thee'. Upon her he bestowed the special favor and grace which outlined that to come; from the Divine conception to the distinctive, Divinely-given Name, Jesus, symbolic of the meaning of His coming; His absolute greatness; His acknowledgment as the Son of God; and the fulfillment in Him of the Great Davidic hope, with its never-ceasing royalty, and its never- ending boundless Kingdom.
Jesus, soon at hand, was even now coming. As the Messiah of David, Israel's Messiah, He is the one in His Mission of bringing salvation and the Kingdom of God to all men, and opening it to all believers upon Him through the grace of our Lord. 'He came into His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become children of God, even to them that believe on His Name.'
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The Announcement of the Birth of Jesus - The Annunciation
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.
32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.
33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.
37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."
38 Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
(Luke 1:26-38)
Joseph, in his dream-vision, first learns the explanation and significance of Jesus's eternal purpose and thus His Mission - As Savior of His people. He Who would save His people (Israel) from their sins; the transgressions and evil deeds of the children of Abraham, from which God provides this Man as the Atonement. This event provides a further link as insight welded into the golden chain of the history of the Kingdom of God. All that had been spoken before by the prophets of God is explained by and comes together in these very significant events. The Promise unfolds. Immanuel, the new wine of the Kingdom.
Mary Visits Elizabeth - The Visitation
39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 "But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 "For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."
(Luke 1:39-45)
The Canticle of Mary - The Magnificat
46 And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever."
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
(Luke 1:46-56)
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THE PURIFICATION AND PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.
(Luke 2:21)
The Presentation in the Temple - Jesus is Presented in the Temple
22 Now when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord
23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"),
24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law,
28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
(Luke 2:22-28)
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The Nunc Dimittis
29 "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel."
(Luke 2:29-32)
The Prophecy of Simeon
33 And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against
35 "(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
(Luke 2:33-35)
The Prophecy of Anna
36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;
37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
(Luke 2:36-38)
The Return to Nazareth
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.
(Luke 2:39)
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FLIGHT INTO EGYPT AND THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS -
THE FIRST WITNESS OF CHRIST
The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,
15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt I called My Son."
(Matthew 2:13-15)
The "Protomartyrs" - The Innocents - The Massacre of the Infants
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more."
(Matthew 2:16-18)
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The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on the second Sunday after Christmas. This Feast celebrates the coming of the wise men from the East to venerate the King of Kings. (Epiphany is derived from Greek roots meaning manifestation. An epiphany is a manifestation, or revelation of God to mankind.) This event is heavy in symbolism. These Gentiles of the East that knew that Jesus was to be king of all showed this fact to the whole world by paying homage to him. The story of the Three Wise Men has formed many legends
and other stories around their coming. Their action is very important for us. They recognized Jesus as King and brought him their greatest gifts to pay him homage.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King
Herod, the magi, the three wise men, from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the new born king of the Jews? We saw his star at its
rising and have come to do him homage." When these men arrived they first visited King Herod who was the Roman ruler of Judea. When Herod heard that another king had been born who was greater than he was, he was greatly troubled, as was all of Jerusalem, and he began to fear that he might lose his power. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you
Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers
of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my
people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the
time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their
audience with the king, they set out. And behold, the star they had
seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the
place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother.
They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened
their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they
departed for their country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12)
When Herod realized that he had been deceived by the Magi, he
became furious. To stop any dispute of his rule from
starting, he ordered the massacre of all the boys in
Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and younger, in accordance
with the time he had ascertained from the magi. Then was fulfilled
what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet: "A voice was
heard in Ramah, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel weeping for
her children, and she would not be consoled, since there were no
more."
Joseph had been warned of the wickedness of Herod by a dream and fled to Egypt to
spare Jesus.
The execution of these children, to maintain the power of the king,
echoes the command given by Pharaoh in the first chapter of
Exodus. Pharaoh's command ordered the death of and male Jew.
Moses was saved from this slaughter and became one of the great
leaders of Israel and led them out of Egypt and guided them for forty
years on their journey to the Promised Land.
These Holy Innocents killed by the order of Herod were the first
people to die for the sake of Christ. They did nothing that caused
them to deserve death, they were in the wrong place at the wrong
time. Likewise in our own day and age, there are holy innocents
being killed everyday. These children are not being killed because
they have done something wrong. These are the innocent victims of
abortion, neglect, and war.
(Matthew 2:16-18)
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WOE! TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH
WAR BROKE OUT IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.
9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
12 "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.
16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
(Revelation 12:7-17)
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Holy Family _Joseph and Jesus
We are a visual people and look to see the beauty in God’s presence. To see a Catherdral in shimmering white 'jewel' light excites us and gives us joyful knowing that we are in the presence of Our Lord. To have this is to have the heritage given us through the Catholic fullness of faith.
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The Example Of Nazareth
Nazareth is a kind of school where we may begin to discover what Christ's life was like and even to understand his Gospel. Here we can observe and ponder the simple appeal of the way God's Son came to be known, profound yet full of hidden meaning. And gradually we may even learn to imitate him.
Here we can learn to realise who Christ really is. And here we can sense and take account of the conditions and circumstances that surrounded and affected his life on earth: the places, the tenor of the times, the culture, the language, religious customs, in brief, everything which Jesus used to make himself known to the world. Here everything speaks to us, everything has meaning. Here we can learn the importance of spiritual discipline for all who wish to follow Christ and to live by the teachings of his Gospel.
How I would like to return to my childhood and attend the simple yet profound school that is Nazareth! How wonderful to be close to Mary, learning again the lesson of the true meaning of life, learning again God's truths. But here we are only on pilgrimage. Time presses and I must set aside my desire to stay and carry on my education in the Gospel, for that education is never finished. But I cannot leave without recalling, briefly and in passing; some thoughts I take with me from Nazareth.
First, we learn from its silence. If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual, and to be open to the voice of God's inner wisdom and the counsel of his true teachers. Nazareth can teach us the value of study and preparation, of meditation, of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.
Second, we learn about family life. May Nazareth serve as a model of what the family should be. May it show us the family's holy and enduring character and exemplify its basic function in society: a community of love and sharing, beautiful for the problems it poses and the rewards it brings, in sum, the perfect setting for rearing children - and for this there is no substitute.
Finally, in Nazareth, the home of a craftsman's son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value - demanding yet redeeming - and to give it proper respect. I would remind everyone that work has its own dignity. On the other hand, it is not an end in itself. Its value and free character, however, derive not only from its place in the economic system, as they say, but rather from the purpose it serves.
In closing, may I express my deep regard for people everywhere who work for a living. To them I would point out their great model, Christ their brother, our Lord and God, who is their prophet in every cause that promotes their well being.
(An address given at Nazareth by Pope Paul VI)
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The Holy Family
The Nativity - Jesus, Mary, Joseph
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Holy Family - Jesus, Mary and Joseph
We are a visual people and look to see the beauty in God’s presence. To see a Catherdral in shimmering white 'jewel' light excites us and gives us joyful knowing that we are in the presence of Our Lord. To have this is to have the heritage given us through the Catholic fullness of faith.
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Holy Family - Mary
We are a visual people and look to see the beauty in God’s presence. To see a Catherdral in shimmering white 'jewel' light excites us and gives us joyful knowing that we are in the presence of Our Lord. To have this is to have the heritage given us through the Catholic fullness of faith.
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Holy Family _Joseph and Jesus
We are a visual people and look to see the beauty in God’s presence. To see a Catherdral in shimmering white 'jewel' light excites us and gives us joyful knowing that we are in the presence of Our Lord. To have this is to have the heritage given us through the Catholic fullness of faith.
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Created:
4/22/2000
Modified: 9/5/2000
