Forty Days in the Desert of Lent - Day 35
Image is the Album Cover for With the Voice of the Archangel produced by PSALM and available through Liturgica.com - reproduced here for fair use only
Feast of the Good News [Annunciation]
The Gospel According to St. Luke 1:24-38:
At that time, Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah, conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’ In the sixth month the archangel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin´s name was Mary. And the archangel came to her and said, “Rejoice, O favored one, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the archangel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou wilt conceive in thy womb and bear a son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Ja cob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the archangel, “How shall this be, since I have known no man?’ And the archangel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the archangel departed from her.
The Gospel According to St. Luke 1:24-38:
At that time, Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah, conceived, and for five months she hid herself, saying, “Thus the Lord has done to me in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.’ In the sixth month the archangel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin´s name was Mary. And the archangel came to her and said, “Rejoice, O favored one, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art thou among women!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the archangel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou wilt conceive in thy womb and bear a son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Ja cob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the archangel, “How shall this be, since I have known no man?’ And the archangel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Most High will overshadow thee; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the archangel departed from her.
Labels: Lent
posted by Hilarius at 10:41 PM
2 Comments:
Happy Feast Day!
Thanks, Mimi . . . it was a good day, as was Friday's hymning of the Akathist to the God-Bearer.
Nonetheless, last night and this morning I feel lowly . . . I need, like St. Ephrem says:
[to] have pity on yourself now, and do not hate your own soul. Open your eyes and see in what way great number fight the good fight. See how they labor with all earnestness to be saved, and how they force themselves to every good work. How carefully they guard themselves from all envy, from evil speaking, from malice and hatred, from immodest mirth, from fornication, from luxury, from fightings and quarrelings. The have chosen the straight and rough way, fasting, watching, suffering afflictions and adversities, mourning and seeping. They have trimmed their lamps and made them shine. See how their mouth at all times sings hymns and praises to their immortal Bridegroom. Their eyes are continually fixed upon His beauties, and their souls rejoice and triumph in Him.
I need to buck up again today and go forth with fixed gaze upon Him who fills all in all.
May your last week of Lent and approach to Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday and Holy Week be profoundly one of uniting with our Lord and Savior!
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