Dear friend:

"evangeli.net Subjects" is discussing some aspects of the life of Jesus Christ in the Mysteries of the Rosary. So far, we have dealt with three Mysteries of Light: “The Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan River” (read more); “Christ's Self Revelation at the weddings of Cana” (read more) and “The Announcement of the kingdom of God and the invitation to conversion” (1st part: read more; 2nd part: read more).

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We interrupt this series to introduce the Joyful Mysteries during Advent-Christmas. The 1st is "The Annunciation”:

1º) « God sent the angel Gabriel to  (…) Mary» (Lk 1,26.27). In the Joyful Mysteries the figure of the Virgin Mary appears in the foreground. However, the protagonist is always Jesus Christ (read more), the "Son of God" (Lk 1,35), whose Kingdom - as heir to the throne of David - will have no end (cf. Lk 1,32-33). In fact, the "Angel's announcement to Mary" is, above all, the mystery of "The Incarnation of the Son of God". Our task is, precisely, to put ourselves in the place of the Virgin and to contemplate Jesus through the eyes of Mary (wherever Mary arrives, Jesus is present: read more).

2º) «Greetings, Mary» (Lk 1,28). The initial greeting of the archangel is symptomatic. The usual among Jews was to greet wishing peace “Shalom”. Literally translated, Gabriel said to Mary: "Rejoice!" which was rather typical of Greek culture. But it is not a matter of cultures, but of the Gospel: the Good News. The hallmark of the New Testament is joy; the hallmark of the authentic Christian is joy (read more). Christ on the Cross redeems us with joy, expressed in an attitude of peace and mercy in the midst of the most devastating pain. Saint Teresa of Jesus said precisely: «A sad saint is a sad saint».

3º) «Full of grace, The Lord is with you» (Lk 1,28). Joy has its profound reason for being: the proximity of God; the Emmanuel is "the God-is-here, with us". This proximity implies an abundance of Grace -divine help- as never seen before. For this, at the wedding at Cana, Jesus transformed a huge amount of water into wine (of the highest quality!). Abundance is another of the messianic signs (read more).

4º) «May it be done to me according to your word» (Lk 1,38). God-Son is incarnated through the "YES" of Mary (an act of faith lived in obedience: read more; read more). Here is the "Method" of Redemption: obedience: Christ on his Cross suffers, but above all, He obeys: To whom? To God-Father! ("Not my will but yours be done": Lk 22,42) (read more). We can see many efforts and works all over the world, but not all effort and not all work save man, but only that which is done in obedience and love to God. "Obedience is the best sacrifice" (1Sam 15,22 see also Heb 10) (read more).

5º) "Betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David" (Lk 1,27). Saint Joseph is -together with his wife- the best example of obedience to the Will of God (read more). We do not know a word about Joseph, but we do know facts that do not need words: "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him" (Mt 1,24) (Joseph’s capacity to perceive the divine: read more). He stepped forward to defend his family when it was necessary, but without outshining the mystery of the Incarnation: it is God himself who conceived Jesus in the womb of Mary. «(...) Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus» (Mt 1,16): that is to say, Saint Joseph appears just the necessary for Jesus to be of the House of David and at the same time, fades enough not to obscure the divine fatherhood of Jesus: his father is directly God! (read more).

Fr. Antoni Carol i Hostench

(General Coordinator of evangeli.net)