“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph…coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:26-30, from the Gospel at today’s Lenten Mass)
For over 15 centuries the Feast of the Annunciation has been celebrated on March 25, exactly nine months before Christmas. This feast commemorates the visit of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he informed her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Angel Gabriel is one of the three archangels (angels of a higher rank) mentioned in the Bible. The other two are Raphael and Michael. The name Gabriel means “man of God.”
Pray for our seniors on the third day of their Kairos Retreat. Pray for the juniors on the second day of their Magis Retreat. The theme is what “more” is Christ asking of me in the days ahead. Pray for a group of our sophomores beginning their Manresa Retreat today. Manresa is where Ignatius Loyola had his life changing experience. Today and tomorrow a group of our students will have “Easter Off Campus” at Crossgate School “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” St. John Berchmans, pray for us. St. Ignatius Loyola, pray for us.
“The Mother of forgiveness teaches the Church that the forgiveness granted on Golgotha knows no limits. Neither the law with its quibbles, nor wisdom of this world with its distinctions, can hold it back. The Church’s forgiveness must be every bit as broad as that offered by Jesus on the Cross and my Mary at his feet. There is no other way.” – Pope Francis
There is never a good time to do the things that are hard to do, such as forgiving those who have offended us, but life is short. There are opportunities today to forgive. Lord, help me not to put them off until tomorrow.
