V/. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
V/. Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
R/. Be it done unto me according to your Word.
Hail Mary…
V/. And the Word was made flesh,
R/. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
V/. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Source: USCCB Website)
The Angelus is a perfect prayer for the celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. Mary’s words, “Be it done unto me according to thy word,” echo through history with the faith of a young girl. God asked her to play a part to help rescue His fallen world. Through her yes, at the moment she spoke those words, the Incarnation of Jesus was fulfilled (Source: Redeemer in the Womb) . The Angelus tells the life story of Mary and her son, Jesus, from his conception to death and resurrection. Mary is a model for us of faith, hope and love. As we learn more about her, we see a life filled with trust, joy, fear, anxiety, suffering, sorrow and awe. Mary’s Immaculate Conception and her virtues prepared her for the most important words spoken in all humankind. As the life of our Savior ended, Mary was given to us from the Cross as our mother. As Jesus ascended to Heaven, Mary’s work would continue and she would now become the Mother of the Church. The rest of her life was spent praying and aiding the small band of apostles formed by Jesus and sent by the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News to all the world.
As we approach the solemnity of Mary, the mother of God, in the Jubilee Year 2025, we seek hope from a woman whose own yes touched many of our hearts. The Jubilee theme is “Pilgrims of Hope” and the Holy Father officially opened the Holy Year on December 24. He then presided over the celebration of Mass on the night of the Lord's Birth inside the Basilica. Let’s pause at the thought of this Holy Year beginning on the eve of our savior’s birth bringing us the great gift of hope. When I think of hope, I think of Mary, Mother of God and the Church, whose response to an angel brought hope to the whole world. God had a plan for Mary and He still has a plan for each and every one of us.
I know Megan, a new mom, who prayed the Rosary with our parish rosary group throughout her pregnancy and then joined us after the birth of her first son, gently nursing him under a wrap, nourishing him during the nine months and beyond. It caused me to marvel at the glorious gifts God has given to a woman’s body, the intricacies and delicate balance for motherhood. God doesn’t stop there. He gives the woman a heart to love like Mary’s. With Mary’s heart we can ponder like Mary and store memories in our hearts. These gifts remind us how much God loves us. We must never lose sight of that fact. For some, we can recognize how we will use gifts through a motherhood like Megan’s. For others, these will be gifts to use in another way. God will lead us. In my case, God led me to a deeper relationship with the Blessed Mother and a career change from accounting to directing a Faith Formation Ministry. Here I had the heart and desire to love like I never had before – to pray and suffer with the family of a dying child, to encourage a teen with mental health issues, to provide a safe place for an autistic child. I recognized my motherhood through this ministry and in other ways as an aunt, a neighbor, a friend, a godmother.
In this upcoming year, as “Pilgrims of Hope”, we can carry our desires and give them to our Mother. If you have participated in Father Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory we consecrate ourselves to Jesus through Mary. You know Our Lady prepares those desires, prayers and hopes and takes them directly to her Son. Mary brings them all with the knowledge of the joys, suffering and sorrows that come with motherhood, in whatever form it may be.
My New Year prayer for 2025 will be that God sends Mary on a journey to bring hope to all women and fulfill the yearning of your hearts. Be hopeful and prepared for what God has planned for you. Let hope help you see beyond human vision with the eyes of faith and fill your heart with love and trust in the Lord. God fulfills His promises in ways we cannot always imagine. Just ask a young Jewish girl who brought our Savior into a dark and dreary world. Ave Maria.