“A wonderful mystery of the faith that we contemplate every day as we recite the Angelus” (Pope Benedict XVI).1
He notes of tomorrow’s solemnity of the Church:
“The Annunciation, recounted at the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel, is a humble, hidden event — no one saw it, no one except Mary knew of it —, but at the same time it was crucial to the history of humanity. When the Virgin said her “yes” to the angel’s announcement, Jesus was conceived and with him began the new era of history that was to be ratified in Easter as the “new and eternal covenant.”
He continues:
In fact, Mary’s “yes” perfectly mirrors that of Christ Himself when He entered the world, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, interpreting Psalm 40 [39]: “As is written of me in the book, I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). The Son’s obedience was reflected in that of the Mother and thus, through the encounter of these two “yeses,” God was able to take on a human face. This is why the Annunciation is a Christological feast as well, because it celebrates a central mystery of Christ: the incarnation.” (Pope Benedict XVI, “Holy Days”, Novalis, pg. 36)
PREPARATORY PRAYERS FOR FINAL DAY OF THIS NOVENA
MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
MY QUEEN, and my Mother, remember I am thine own. Keep me, guard me, as thy property and possession!
DAY 9: MEDITATION
MARY could not consent to become the Mother of the Redeemer without including in her consent those to be redeemed.
"She bore one man," says St. Antonine, "and thereby has borne all men again. Beneath the cross of her divine Son she has reborne us to life with great pain, just as Eve our first mother, has borne us under the tree of forbidden fruit unto death. That there be no doubt concerning it, her divine Son made this declaration in His last will." "When therefore Jesus had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He saith to His Mother, Woman, behold thy son. After that He saith to the disciple, Behold thy Mother" (John xix. 26 27).
She gave up her Son for the redemption of mankind, and He gave us, in the person of His beloved disciple St. John, to her as her children, declaring her our Mother. From that moment we belong to Mary, and Mary belongs to us:
"Behold thy Mother!"
PRACTICE
MARY loves us because she loves God, and because God loves us. She loves us as her brethren who share human nature with her. She loves us as her children, whom she has borne to eternal life. She loves us because we are miserable and helpless. True, we offended her divine Son, but she knows our frailty, our blindness, the assaults of the flesh and the devil to which we are exposed; and by all this she is moved to come to our aid.
Do not, however, imagine that this good and amiable Mother will hear your call for assistance if you continue to offend her divine Son with malice prepense. To obtain her aid you must make yourself in a manner worthy of it. This you do by striving to imitate her virtues. Or is there anything in her example that we are unable to imitate? True, we can not attain to her perfection in virtue, but we can copy it to a certain degree. To follow Mary's example there is no need of performing miracles, of having ecstasies, or of doing any other extraordinary deeds. All that is necessary is to persevere faithfully in the ordinary duties of life, and to perform them to the best of our ability.
"Behold thy Mother!" These words of our dying Lord were addressed to the beloved disciple St. John, but were intended for all mankind. Even as Mary never ceases to be the Mother of God, she never will cease to be our Mother.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH: THE ANGELUS
LEADER: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt among us. (Bow / Curtsey)
ALL: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
LEADER: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
ALL: POUR forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we unto whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy 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.
Now, pray the Litany of Loreto: https://www.vatican.va/special/rosary/documents/litanie-lauretane_en.html
See our video here with Fr. Elias Mary Mills, FI, or in the Footnotes, read the Litany2
https://rosary365.substack.com/cp/152953287
Prayer for Day 9
O HOLIEST Mary, bless me, my heart and my soul, as thou thyself wast ever blessed of God among all women;
for I have this sure hope, dear Mother,
that if thou bless me while I live,
then, when I die,
I shall be blessed of God in the everlasting glory of heaven.
Hail Mary…
ON FRIDAY OF THIS COMING WEEK, TRY PRAYING THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS AND THE DECADE ROSARY: THE FIRST JOYFUL MYSTERY
Ejaculation:
Virgin Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me!
Indulgence. 50 days, once a day. (Leo XIII, March 20, 1894.)
Thank you for listening to the Rosary Hour Podcast.3
TOMORROW IS MARCH 25th, 2025, the SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION and the APPARITION OF LOURDES IN WHICH OUR LADY STATES, “I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION”. Visit our ROSARY YOUTUBE CHANNEL here. In this video, Fr. Thad Lancton reflects on the Immaculate Conception on the 170th Anniversary.
Also, in honour of tomorrow’s Feast, try to contemplate the Encyclical: “Mysterium Fidei” https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_03091965_mysterium.html
We pray also for many people to attend the Holy Masses tomorrow — and if possible, to approach in a state of grace the Holy Communion for a Holy Soul. Try to think of someone in your family to whom you can send this beautiful gift of receiving Holy Communion on their behalf after attending two FULL Holy Masses.
Listen to Fr. Lancton’s explanation of this important Jubilee Indulgence that will reverse the evils of our times by our becoming Living Tabernacles for those who have died.
This call to more frequent Holy Communion is a powerful way to offer a sacrifice for this Novena, if you don’t yet have thoughts on what you might offer. We thank Fr. Lancton for providing this short lesson and lovely way to reflect on the power of Christ’s presence in the World as we become pilgrims of hope, even for those who have died.
VERA GRITA
Finally — read about the Servant of God, Vera Grita (1923-1969), Mystic of the Eucharist, who we will focus on with Beata Alexandrina in the coming weeks through our main podcast newsletter: rosaryhourpodcast.substack.com.
Take me with you! The Work of the Living Tabernacles in the original manuscripts of Vera Grita With presentations by Fr François-Marie Léthel OCD and Fr Roberto Carelli SDB is an excellent book to add to your reading today — it introduces the concept of LIVING TABERNACLES so that we might be like Our Lady who became the first tabernacle on this day.
“What you need to know about the Annunciation” Fr. Chris Alar, MIC and Narrator of The Rosary Hour Podcast:
SHORT VIDEO:
FOOTNOTES
LIFELONG LEARNING — In light of this Solemnity, we might also REDISCOVER “MYSTERIUM FIDEI”
https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_03091965_mysterium.html
Litany Of Loreto
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most chaste, pray for us.
Mother inviolate, pray for us.
Mother undefiled, pray for us.
Mother most amiable, pray for us.
Mother most admirable, pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, pray for us.
Mother of our Savior, pray for us.
Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of justice, pray for us.
Seat of wisdom, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, pray for us.
Vessel of honor, pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.
Mystical rose, pray for us.
Tower of David, pray for us.
Tower of ivory, pray for us.
House of gold, pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, pray for us.
Gate of Heaven, pray for us.
Morning star, pray for us.
Health of the sick, pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.
Help of Christians, pray for us.
Queen of angels, pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of prophets, pray for us.
Queen of apostles, pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of confessors, pray for us.
Queen of virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all saints, pray for us.
Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.
Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.
Queen of peace, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray
Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God,
that we Thy servants may enjoy perpetual
health of mind and body, and by the glorious
intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy
everlasting happiness. Through Christ Our Lord,
Amen
PRAY ANOTHER DECADE OF THE ROSARY WITH FR. ANTHONY GRAMLICH HERE:
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