Because with God nothing is impossible.” 38Mary then said: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word!” And the angel withdrew. ***

 

 with God nothing is impossible.” 38Mary then said: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word!” And the angel withdrew. ***

First Reading: Acts 1:12-14

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles – After Jesus ascended to heaven, 12 the apostles returned to Jerusalem, coming from the Mount of Olives, which is close to Jerusalem, about a kilometer away. 13They entered the city and went up to the upper room, where they usually stayed. They were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon Zealot and Judas son of James. 14They all persevered in prayer together with some women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Jesus' brothers. - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: Luke 1

The Mighty One has done wonders for me / and holy is his name!

1. My soul magnifies the Lord, / and my spirit rejoices in God, my savior. – R.

2. For he saw the littleness of his servant, / from now on generations will call me blessed. / The Mighty One has done wonders for me, / and holy is his name! – R.

3. his love, from generation to generation, / reaches all who respect him. / He demonstrated the power of his arm, / he scattered the proud. – R.

4. he brought down the mighty from their thrones / and exalted the humble. / He filled the hungry with goods / and sent the rich away with nothing. – R.

5. he welcomed Israel, his servant, / faithful to his love, / as he had promised our fathers, / in favor of Abraham and his children forever. – R.

Gospel: Luke 1,26-38

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Mary, rejoice, O full of grace, the Lord is with you; / you are blessed among all the women on earth! (Lc 1,28) – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke - At that time, 26the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth, 27to a virgin, promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. He was a descendant of David, and the name of the virgin was Mary. 28The angel entered where she was and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” 29Mary was disturbed by these words and began to wonder what the meaning of the greeting was. 30The angel then said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call his name Jesus. 32He will be great, he will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the descendants of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” 34Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen if I don’t know any man?” 35The angel replied, “The Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the boy who will be born will be called holy, Son of God. 36Also Elizabeth, your relative, conceived a son in her old age. This is the sixth month for her who was considered sterile, 37because nothing is impossible with God.” 38Mary then said: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word!” And the angel withdrew. – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

In the Middle Ages, the rosary was born from the Christians' love for Mary. The promoters of this devotion were the Dominicans. Pope Saint Pius V, also a Dominican, was the first to officially recommend the recitation of the rosary. With the rosary, we meditate on the main mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. We are exhorted by popes to recite the rosary as an excellent means of spiritual growth. Paul VI suggests to us: “By its nature, the recitation of the rosary requires a calm rhythm and a certain delay in thinking, which encourage, in the one praying, meditation on the mysteries of the Lord's life, seen through the heart of the one who was closest to him. in contact with the same Lord” (Marialis Cultus, n. 47). And, in another item, “he strongly recommends the recitation of the holy rosary in the family” (n. 52).