December 20, 2021 (Fort Sumner)

English and Spanish homillies.    Translated Spanish homily below:

 

At Mass on December 19, we heard the visit of the Holy Archangel Gabriel to St. Zacharias about the birth of John the Baptist. But after that message, he made a second journey with a much greater purpose, to the Virgin Mary, to this young woman who was betrothed to a husband, but even more than that, this child was chosen by God to bring Salvation to the world.  

When the angel Gabriel, in his person, distinguished with heavenly beauty, appeared before Mary's eyes, she dropped her chaste gaze, and her ruddy cheeks colored like blood. He said, "Virgin more blessed than all the maidens past, present, and future, in all the world traversed by the orb of the sun, you have been chosen by the great God to be called the Mother of Him whose Father is God Himself. Come, then, and in your blessing conceive this burden, for you are not tainted by a husband nor have you been affected by any sexual intercourse, but have been chosen to become pregnant by the Word of God. May your womb provide a body to him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the stars, to him who always was, is now and always will be the Lord of the world and the Creator of light. your son is the Light of heaven. He will clothe himself with mortal limbs with your help.  He will appear before the eyes and assemblies of men.

"Virgin, full of Grace, lift up thy spirit without stumbling to the reward of so great a glory. God will give thee strength and faith, for He has decided to be thy Son, though the Son of the Lord, and rules and guides all things with His mighty right hand."

With these words at once St. Gabriel left his presence and disappeared into heaven. At that moment God's commands were fulfilled. The young girl believed him immediately, and her faith added to the merit of her former perfect life. The seed of divinity lay hidden with its cause and purpose unrevealed. It was a seed molded into a body that was of God. The holy burden in the Virgin of Nazareth grew, and her devoted womb harbored the heavenly Lord.