#the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His Name

[ave-immaculata]

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then, I called on the name of the Lord: "Lord, save me!" How gracious is the Lord, and just; our God has compassion. The Lord protects the simple hearts... I was helpless, so he saved me.

[miraevanlynch]

📜METATRON’S MESSIAH RECIPE THEORY📜

You thought I’d stopped replaying the grueling ending of episode 6? Nope, quite the contrary. I’ve watched it so many times that I’ve come up with a new conspiracy theory about Metatron’s motives and Aziraphale’s choice at the end of season two. This is just my speculation, so read it for entertainment. The article is very long, so please bear with me.

“Does anyone choose death?” – Metatron.

Surely, you’ve asked the same question as I have: “Why Aziraphale?” Why our angel, a “traitor” to his side, a low-ranking Principality, often seen as foolish, weak, and despised by his colleagues, was chosen by Metatron to become the Supreme Archangel, second only to God?

I’ve read many theories suggesting that the position of Supreme Archangel is merely titular, that Aziraphale will become a puppet in Metatron’s hands, allowing him full control. By separating the angel from Crowley, their combined strength would be diminished, ensuring the “Second Coming” goes smoothly without any hindrances. This theory made sense to me until I remembered the “Book of Life,” capable of erasing any entity with a single stroke.

And Metatron, the angel with full access to that book, could easily have erased Aziraphale and Crowley’s names, making them never exist. This indicates that Metatron’s plan goes beyond merely controlling the Ineffable Husbands' miracle; perhaps the scheme to separate them is deeper. Aziraphale and Crowley might actually be crucial to his plan, not just obstacles Metatron wishes to eliminate.

Anyone here read Frank Herbert’s Dune or watched its film adaptations? If so, you’d recognize two things:

1. Faith is the most powerful soft power, capable of wiping out armies. Nothing is more fearsome than an army of fanatics with unshakeable faith.

2. To have unity, you need religion and ideals. For religion and ideals to exist, you need an epic, a legend about “the chosen one.”

In season two, Heaven is depicted as highly fragmented, with Michael and Uriel vying for the Supreme Archangel position, Gabriel’s memory being wiped, and even Saraqael and Muriel aiding Crowley, a demon and their common enemy. Heaven is experiencing a severe personnel crisis, possibly even worse than Hell’s (at least Hell isn’t plagued by infighting).

As the King of Angels, overseeing Heaven, what should Metatron do to address this urgent problem, especially with the “Second Coming” looming, and both Heaven and Hell preparing for a great war? A disunited heavenly army lacking faith and bickering over personal gains is not what Metatron desires. He needs to unify them before the Holy War to ensure victory.

Metatron realizes the angels need a new leader, someone to rekindle their dead faith in God, unite them under one ideal, and lead them to a vision of heaven’s ultimate triumph, performing miracles no other angel can.

That’s when Metatron decides to go to Earth to find Aziraphale.

But why Aziraphale? We haven’t answered this question yet, have we? Why must Aziraphale become the Supreme Archangel, why is he “the chosen one”?

Simply because Metatron saw extraordinary qualities in him. The qualities of a heavenly “Messiah.” But what are the qualities of a Messiah? And what specifically has Aziraphale done to fulfill them? I’ll list some rather coincidental, perhaps eerily coincidental, details to support the idea that Aziraphale fits the messianic archetype, or even Jesus Christ.

To become a savior, one needs:

1. To perform extraordinary feats that no one else can: Jesus walked on water, prophesied, and healed. Aziraphale, in Heaven’s eyes, is the only angel who survived hellfire (like Paul Atreides surviving the Water of Life in Dune), prevented the Apocalypse, and persuaded the Antichrist, Adam. He understands human ways and Earth, something the other bureaucratic angels can’t grasp.

2. To have high ideals and absolute loyalty to the Almighty: This is evident in Jesus. For Aziraphale, it’s his unwavering faith in Heaven’s inherent goodness, his belief in God, and, crucially, his desire to reform Heaven’s corrupt bureaucracy that oppresses low-ranking angels while the higher-ups fight each other. (This echoes the plight of the Jews under harsh rulers and their prayers for a savior like Moses or Jesus. In Dune, the Fremen yearn for their Lisan Al Gaib to lead them to a Green Paradise. Angels are akin to the Jews or Fremen, longing for faith and salvation.)

3. To be compassionate, bearing the world’s sins: Jesus bore the hatred of the very people he sought to save but always forgave their sins. In Dune, Paul Atreides endured severe trials on Arrakis to earn the Fremen’s trust. Similarly, Aziraphale, despite Heaven’s mistreatment, holds no grudges and is ready to reform it for a brighter future for all.

4. To be “betrayed” by someone trusted and willing to sacrifice everything to save the world: This is the interesting part. After Metatron targeted Aziraphale, who bravely asked God about the Great Plan (in season 1) and fought for his ideals, he likely planned to turn the angel into an epic saint, a true religious leader for his military ends. Remember Metatron’s question at the café:

“Does anyone choose death?”

The answer is yes. The Messiah chooses death to save everyone. Jesus chose crucifixion, knowing it would redeem the world. Paul Atreides drank the lethal Water of Life to become the Mahdi of the Fremen. And how do you push a saint into such despair, making them endure all pain to highlight their virtues, leading people to follow them and unite under their faith?

Every story needs a villain to highlight the hero’s virtues.

And both angels and demons hate traitors.

Jesus was betrayed by Judas, his close disciple, whom he trusted, someone with latent evil but whom he always forgave. Judas wanted a violent revolution, a physical liberation, contrary to Jesus’ “spiritual revolution.” Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss.

And Aziraphale, excited about realizing his ideal of improving Heaven, was “betrayed” by the one he loved and trusted most, someone seen as a sinner but always recognized for his inner goodness. Crowley preferred “physical freedom” by fleeing to the stars, rejecting “freedom of thought,” which required resolving all potential threats. Crowley betrayed Aziraphale with a kiss.

After enduring all physical and mental agony, our Messiah will leave the mortal realm, forsaking all worldly pleasures to return to Heaven, where they save all beings.

So, from the perspective of other angels, the story of a “Messiah” Aziraphale with miraculous powers, grand ideals, a compassionate heart ready to forgive all sins, willing to bear hatred, pain, and the ultimate betrayal to lead everyone to a New Heaven, is skillfully crafted by Metatron. This legend will spread among the angels, inspiring them to follow their Supreme Archangel with renewed faith. They’ll believe in God again, more united than ever, ready to wield their flaming swords against Hell. Michael and Uriel will no longer oppose their new leader, and no angel will doubt this propaganda, as they lack the knowledge of manipulation, and they’ve been subservient for too long.

By then, Aziraphale has completed his function, whether he resists or tries to stop it. It’s too late, as the angels only need a legend, a prophecy to believe in. Aziraphale has become that legend through Metatron’s orchestration. Like Paul Atreides, he becomes an unwilling saint, a Messiah without a choice, manipulated by those behind the scenes like the Bene Gesserit or Metatron. They only need a story, someone to ignite faith for battle. Thus, Heaven has a battle-ready army with unprecedented resolve for the Great War between Heaven and Hell. Metatron has achieved his goal. Perhaps the protagonist of the “Second Coming” isn’t Jesus or any other son of the Almighty but rather the return of the once-militant Heaven, which banished the fallen angels to Hell. Heaven will return to Earth on Judgment Day with their Supreme Archangel, who understands humanity to commence the reckoning, wielding enough power to face his hereditary enemy, the First Sinner, the Serpent of Eden, new Prince of Hell, who betrayed him with a kiss…

It will be a terrifying prospect.

Aziraphale only wanted to bring Heaven to Crowley. And now, he has brought “Heaven” to everyone.

Nothing lasts forever, nothing IS forever.

And that’s Metatron’s recipe for creating a Messiah, by Heaven’s most powerful weapon – Faith.

END.

[myremnantarmy]

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

[aprillikesthings]

There are a lot of things that suck ass about living in 2024, but the fact that I can look at literally any page of the Book of Kells and get a better, more zoomed-in look at it, than I could if I were standing in front of the fucking thing, is not one of them

That part is pretty god damn great

It's a lavishly illuminated book of the Gospels (in Latin), made in the 800's in Ireland.

It's one of those things that I can't think about too much or I just start crying. It's so beautiful and human.

THE LEVEL OF DETAIL IS FUCKING WILD. This is the "chi ro" page. (from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (Greek: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) – Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ).)

Each page is 330 mm by 250 mm (13 inches by 9.8 inches). It's all on calfskin vellum. All 680 pages of it. (340 "leaves"). There are places where there's patches in the calfskin and holes that weren't patched. Some of the colors were made from things imported from as far away as the Mediterranean.

We're missing a few pages, but it's a fucking miracle we have it at ALL. It's up there with the Bayeux Tapestry (among other things! those are just ones I personally know about!) in terms of "I can't believe humans made this spectacular thing that long ago and WE STILL HAVE IT." Things like fabric and writing are just so notoriously easy to lose/destroy!

I think one of my favorite things is that it isn't perfect! Not just the patches and holes--there are visible mistakes where one of the scribes ran out of room on a line, for instance:

"ah shit I forgot I needed to write 'maria' there."

(that says "et ait Maria," or "and Mary said")

Anyway. Yes I am considering getting a tattoo of part of it.

Specifically the opening lines of the Magnificat.

It's from the first chapter of Luke, and it's the song Mary sings when the angel tells her she's going to give birth to Jesus. The translation the Episcopal church uses for evening prayer goes:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

The Latin version:

Magnificat anima mea Dominum et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo

And here's what it looks like in the Book of Kells (and a link to the whole page if you're curious)

(...plus some of the next line, "quia respexit humilitatem," "he has looked upon his humble/lowly servant")

("but a whole bunch of letters are missing" yeah there was a whole Thing with writing out Latin, back when all writing was done by hand on vellum, where you could skip letters if you knew the reader would know which word you meant. That little line above the text is fancy writing for "I skipped some letters on that one.")

ANYWAY the PROBLEM is that I'm not a huge fan of the opening "Ma" of the word Magnificat. There are other examples of illuminated "Ma" in the Book that I might swap out, but they all look like that rounded shape, just the decoration varies.

I also have to decide whether to write out the Latin words or keep the abbreviations they used. Keeping the abbreviations might be easier lol.

Also I fucking love the Magnificat.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *     for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: *     the Almighty has done great things for me,     and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him *     in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, *     he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *     and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, *     and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *     for he has remembered his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, *     to Abraham and his children for ever.

The artist Ben Wildflower has a great woodcut print/sticker/t-shirt of a couple of lines from it:

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th August >> Mass Readings (USA)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet.

God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed One.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king.

R/ The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-27 Christ, the firstfruits; then those who belong to him.

Brothers and sisters: Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

The Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia. Mary is taken up to heaven; a chorus of angels exults. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me; he has raised up the lowly.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[cowboysprayer]

after my meeting with Sr. Kathy last week i've been constantly thinking about being Nothing when we come to Christ and how God regarded Mary in her lowliness, and during our contemplative prayer today i just kept thinking "I want nothing, I need You" and "I am nothing" over and over again. i felt so small before the greatness of Him.

then i joined the Sisters for evening prayer, and it was my turn to read the Canticle of Mary. and at that moment i saw her not as this adult woman, a mother; but i saw her as young girl, i saw myself.

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name."

this young girl, free from all sin, from all expectation, just gave herself to the Lord and let Him do His will. and that's what i so badly long for Him to do with me.

we had a small pause in our prayer and the Sisters just kept commenting on how much they loved hearing to me pray the Canticle of Mary, how precious and sweet it sounded and it's truly is because at that moment i understood just how blessed Mary was.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A New Heaven and a New Earth (Isaiah 65:17–25)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.

4 ‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

8 But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 shining with the glory of God. Its radiance was like a most precious jewel, like a jasper, as clear as crystal. 12 The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve angels at the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height. 17 And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone:

The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

22 But I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 By its light the nations will walk, and into it the kings of the earth will bring their glory. 25 Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there.

26 And into the city will be brought the glory and honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. — Revelation 21 | Berean Standard Bible (BSB) Berean Standard Bible © 2016, 2020 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. All rights Reserved. Cross References: Genesis 17:8; Exodus 25:8; Exodus 32:32; Isaiah 25:8; Exodus 28:17; Exodus 28:21; Deuteronomy 3:11; Psalm 72:10; Psalm 84:11; Isaiah 49:23; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 52:1; Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 60:1; Isaiah 60:11; Ezekiel 10:9; Ezekiel 40:2-3; Ezekiel 42:20; Ezekiel 48:31; Zechariah 2:2; Matthew 24:2; Acts 1:26; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 1:1; Revelation 4:6; Revelation 17:4

[sealmonger]

Revelation 21 ESV

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.[d] Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits[e] by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Footnotes

a. Revelation 21:3 Or tabernacle

b. Revelation 21:3 Some manuscripts peoples

c. Revelation 21:3 Some manuscripts omit as their God

d. Revelation 21:16 About 1,380 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

e. Revelation 21:17 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

15th August >> Fr. Martin's Reflections/Homilies on Today's Mass Readings for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Inc. Luke 1:39-56): ‘Of all women, you are the most blessed’.

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Gospel (Except USA) Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me.

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Gospel (USA) Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me; he has raised up the lowly.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Reflections (2)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary’s assumption points to our own heavenly destiny, the glorification of our whole humanity in heaven. Her earthly life reminds us of our baptismal calling. In today’s gospel reading, Mary physically carries Jesus in her womb to Elizabeth, her older cousin. As disciples of the Lord, we are all called to carry Jesus to others. Our baptismal calling is to become bearers of the Lord’s presence to all, to allow the Lord to live in us so that he can speak and act through us. Mary gives expression to our own baptismal calling. As the first disciple of her son, she shows us what it means to answer the Lord’s call. Mary could bring the Lord to Elizabeth because, at the moment of the annunciation, she gave herself over to God’s purpose for her life. She consented to allow God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to overshadow her, to take hold of her. Insofar as we give ourselves over to God’s purpose for our lives and allow the Holy Spirit to overshadow us, we too will become people who bring the Lord to others. It is the Holy Spirit who brings the Lord to birth within us.

When Mary reached her destination and greeted Elizabeth, we are told that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary’s way of relating to Elizabeth helped Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We too are called to relate to others in ways that help them to become filled with the Holy Spirit, that open them up more fully to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Holy Spirit at work in our lives can bring the Holy Spirit to life in the lives of others.

In response to Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth, in the power of the Spirit, declares Mary blessed because of her faith, ‘Blessed is she who believed’. Mary’s faith showed itself in love, in a journey of loving service to her older, more vulnerable, pregnant cousin. She shows us that genuine faith always expresses itself in loving service of others. When we give ourselves over in faith to God, we open ourselves up to his Holy Spirit and the primary fruit of the Spirit is love. As Saint Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, ‘the only thing that counts is faith working through love’.

Just as Mary’s presence filled Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth’s way of relating to Mary filled Mary with a spirit of prayer. Because of the way that Elizabeth welcomed Mary, Mary was moved to pray her great prayer, the Magnificat. The content of Mary’s prayer shows her to be a woman who hungers for a new justice on earth, where the lowly are exalted, the hungry are filled, and oppressive powers are overcome. Mary shows us that genuine faith expresses itself not only in love but in a hunger and thirst for God’s justice on earth.

If Mary’s earthly life of loving service and prayer shows us the shape of our own faith journey, her assumption reveals our ultimate destiny beyond this earthly life. The feast of her assumption celebrates her full embodied sharing in the risen life of Christ. She gives us hope that, in the words of today’s second reading, ‘all will be brought to life in Christ’. As one who now shares fully in the Lord’s risen life, we can confidently turn to her, asking her to pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, so that we too can come to share in the Lord’s risen life to the full.

We need her prayers, because our faith, and all that flows from it, is often put to the test. Mary’s faith, her relationship with the Lord, was certainly put to the test. That is one of the messages of that strange first reading from the Book of Revelation, which is so full of symbolism. When the woman adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, with twelve stars for a crown was about to give birth to her child, the red dragon stood in front of her so that he could devour her child as soon as it was born. However, God protected both the woman and her child. There will always be forces hostile to our faith in the Lord and to our efforts to give birth to the Lord in our lives. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’. He foresaw our struggle. We need a faith that perseveres through the struggles of life. On this feast of Mary, we can look to her as a woman of persevering faith, who remained faithful to her Son, standing by the cross as she watched him been cruelly put to death. She is a prayerful presence on our own faith journey, helping us to persevere in faith, until our faith in her Son gives way to seeing him face to face.

And/Or

(ii) Feast of the Assumptionof the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today’s feast celebrates Mary’s full sharing in the risen life of Christ. In the words of Mary’s prayer in the gospel reading, ‘the Almighty has done great things for me’. This feast also reminds us that the Almighty wants to do the same great things for all of us. In the words of today’s second reading from Saint Paul, we are all destined to ‘be brought to life in Christ’. Paul wrote to the members of the church in Philippi, ‘I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion’. God has brought his good work in Mary to completion in heaven. God’s good work was well underway in Mary before she came to share in Christ’s heavenly glory. We can see evidence of God’s good work in her in today’s gospel reading. When her older cousin, Elizabeth, was pregnant with John the Baptist and in need of support, Mary set out and went as quickly as she could from Nazareth to the hill country of Judah, even though Mary was pregnant herself with Jesus. According to the gospel reading, she ended up staying with Elizabeth about three months. God’s good work in our lives shows itself in the kind of loving service that Mary showed to Elizabeth. Whenever we go on a journey to support someone in need, God’s good work is coming to pass in us. In response to Mary’s opening greeting, Elizabeth asked, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?’ Mary physically brought the Lord to Elizabeth. We are all called to bring the Lord to others by our goodness and kindness, and whenever we do so we are honouring them. God’s good work in Mary also found expression in her prayer, which has come to be known as the Magnificat. Mary was a woman of prayer as well as a woman of loving service. Her loving service of others flowed from her life of prayer. Whenever we give time to God in prayer, God’s good work is finding expression in our lives. Our calling is to keep opening ourselves up to God’s good work in our lives, expressed in loving service of others and in prayer to God, so that God can do for us what he did for Mary, bringing his good work to completion in our lives, by leading us to share fully in Christ’s risen life.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[heintzmagic]

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

[childofchrist1983]

Sometimes, we are so overwhelmed by a bad situation that all we can do is weep and mourn. Sometimes, our losses are so great, we wonder if our sorrow will ever end. We serve a God who will not turn away our weeping and mourning. He patiently bears with us as we pray through the pain, leading us in His time to comfort, to healing, and to new action.

May God Almighty and Jesus Christ give us peace knowing He is with us and that He a plan for our lives. May our belief in Him and His Holy Word and in His endless power and possibilities draw us and others to Him daily.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time daily to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful Lord, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in the Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

Father God Almighty, LORD Jesus, I bring You my pain, my sorrow, and my grief. Under the weight of loss, I come to You seeing comfort and rest. I want this pain to go away, but I don’t know how to make it stop. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me through the crying, and giving me refuge. Bind my wounds and give me new strength to rise up and keep going.

You are all-powerful and all-knowing and ever-present. You are sovereign over Your creation. You know our needs, our ailments, our struggles. We trust all of these things to Your loving care. With confidence, O Lord, we lean on You, Your Word and Your power as we ask for healing, strength, and provision, for You are more than able to meet all of our needs, even the impossible. Thank you for loving me enough to die on the cross for my salvation. Help me to live a life that honors You and Your Word and will, forever and always.

Help me to build my relationship with You and to live a life that honors You and Your Word and will always. For You have taught me the importance of developing a relationship with You. You have shown me the proper path to developing this relationship, and what You ask is simple: That I love You with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength (Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37). Forgive me, Father God and Lord Jesus! I know that I can do better. I vow that with Your help, I shall do better and draw closer to You and praise You, good times and bad. I pray this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

You and Your Holy Word and Spirit give us hope, peace, salvation, and so much more! Let our relationship with You be the foundation and pleasing in Your eyes, so that we may hear Your praise as we gaze upon Your face and enter Your Kingdom. Lift our spirits and our hearts. Light up our lives, O Lord. May we abide in You for all our days and beyond!

You are Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End! We know Your promises are true and we place our hope in You! May we continue to pray and seek You. Present us with daily opportunities to go to others with Your message of eternal salvation. May we live our lives with a spirit of thankfulness and may we always magnify You, O Lord. Allow our praises to You encourage others to seek Your face. Help us all to be humble and obedient to You. And help us to be courageous enough to seek You daily and to humbly and faithfully do our duty to You, spreading the truth of Your Gospel to all in all nations, as You commanded before You ascended back to Heaven (Mark 16:15-16). May our lives show the world Your light and Truth and that You are a loving God and Heavenly Father who delights in showing love and mercy. May we all be humbly and faithfully honored and excited to worship, glorify and serve You daily and to do Your will. You have been so good to us, far more than we as wretched sinners deserve. You are so good! So wonderful! Forever and always!

Thank you for keeping me and helping me in times where I am tempted to go astray. Praise be to You today and every day of my life and let me never forget all of the blessings that are given me by You. As much as the enemy will try, he will never be able to successful breed doubt about who You are, in the minds of anyone who truly believes and follows You. And I will follow and serve You all the days of my life and beyond! Thank you for the connection with You that we are given through Your Holy Word and Spirit. Thank you, O Lord, for all Your creation and Your miraculous ways. Thank you for being our stronghold and my refuge. Thank you for seeing us as worth the sacrifice. Thank you for sustaining us, loving us and defining us according to Your will and love for us. Thank you for making sure we are taken care of. Thank you for being the best friend we could ever have! Thank you for Your endless mercy and love that has saved us. Thank you for always protecting us and providing for us and for Your Spirit to help us when we are in need. Thank you for abiding within me and may I abide with You, my Lord. Thank you for giving us a chance to be saved from our sin and spend eternity with You. Thank you for adopting us as part of Your family in Heaven and making us one of Your own. Thank you for being our present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). Thank you for always being near and for loving us. Thank you for giving us a reason to love others and so many more reasons to love, praise, serve and follow You. Thank you for Your selfless and sinless sacrifice. Thank you for Your guidance and protection. Thank you for Your Truth and light. Thank you for Your wisdom and strength and grace. Thank you for giving life to the world and to us. You give and take away – And we thank you for it. Thank you for everything! Your will be done! Blessed be Your mighty name! To You and Your Kingdom be the glory forevermore! In Your name we humbly pray, Amen and amen

[ave-immaculata]

MY SOUL PROCLAIMS THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD

MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD, MY SAVIOUR

FOR HE HAS LOOKED WITH FAVOUR ON THE LOWLINESS OF HIS SERVANT

HENCEFORTH ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSED

FOR THE ALMIGHTY HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME

HOLY IS IS NAME

[wisdomfish]

God’s plan to deal with evil

God’s plan to deal with evil is prepared for in creation but executed in redemption. Satan and his forces are already defeated foes with Christ’s first coming as Savior,

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. [Hebrews 2:14-15]

And all evil and human sin will forever be vanquished at Christ’s second coming as Judge and King.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very valuable stone, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on the gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length, width, and height are equal. And he measured its wall, 144 cubits, by human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. [Revelation 21]

~ Samples, Kenneth Richard. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions. p. 250

[myremnantarmy]

𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

LK 1:39-56

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months

and then returned to her home.

[plushipaws]

I had been sent on a Quest to kill a monster, as I had been many times before. I killed the beast, as I always had, but I had been injured; a bite. Though I live, this wound turned out to be fatal for sir Godric.

The hunger overtook me, as it so often does to young vampires, and before I could stop myself I had slaughtered a villiage of the very people I was sworn to protect. As they looked upon my warped visage before their deaths at my hand they called be a demon. Abbadon, one called me, and in a baptism of blood I was so named.

My instincts drove me to hide from the sun, to seek the company of rats and to shun all that I had held holy. I knew myself then to be a creature of filth and shadow, a twistsd monster whoes very appearance struck fear and disgust in all who beheld him, such that the faint of heart would die before I had laid a claw of them, simply from beholding me.

My new nature and my past identity were at war inside of me. It did not seem I could be both things; a knight and a monster, a worshiper of God and a creature from Hell, a hero and a villian. And yet I was, and the discrepancy ate me. I continued to do what I saw as good, to slay monsters and save humans, as a shephard slays wolves for his sheep. At the same time, I fed upon humans like livestock. I wanted what was best for them, and I killed hundreds of them, nay, thousands.

I tried to commune with God, to turn to him for answers, but he rejected and burned me. I tried to make peace with what I was on my own, though it was more than once that I contemplated self destruction. Over time, I lost my connection to humanity. My face made it impossible to interact with humans except for from shadow, and as food. The seperation from humans became as great as an ocean, and my guilt over their deaths drowned in it.

I knew once, what it was to be one of them, and so I would never cause them undue suffering or wish them greif. I had loved humanity once, and I love them still, though the love has changed from that of equals, to the love a farmer has for his cattle. I realized it is not a paradox to love that which you kill, or that which you eat. It has always been the relationship humans have had with animals, and it was the relationship vampires had with humans.

It was this relationship that made me understand wht God had done; like how humans were placed above animals, and given animals to both watch over and to serve them, vampires were thusly placed above humans; the next stage between the life God had created on earth and God himself. He in his wisdom was creating an even more perfect life form to better emulate Himself on earth, both making us to be better than them and to punish them for their corruption. In his wisdom, he also realized, that in order to be more like Him, we had to do without Him, as God has no God of his own to look up to; He must make his own decisions, and now so must we. This is why vampires are burned by Holy symbols; like all loving parents, God knows we have to leave his care eventually and make our own way.

This made it make sense for as to why I was in this position of vampire; I had been pious, loyal, and kind; and it would not make sense to be punished by being turned into a horrible monster. And perhaps my ugliness was part of this as well; a gift, to help me to realize what I was now. I know I am ugly, and should not be looked upon; I shall continue to hide my face, as it is a face meant to be hidden. But this does not mean that I hate my appearance; nay, I love my ugliness now, as I know it is a gift from God Almighty, a message to help me understand what His will is, even after He has stopped communicating directly. It also serves to keep me humble, as being greater than one once was could easily cause one to commit the sin of pride; a sin I must be succeptable to, as I have much worse features than many other vampires. I thank God for protecting me from commiting such a sin.

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

15th August >> Mass Readings (Except USA)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II))

First Reading Apocalypse 11:19,12:1-6,10 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman adorned with the sun.

The sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ.’

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 44(45):10-12,16

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

The daughters of kings are among your loved ones. On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words: forget your own people and your father’s house.

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

So will the king desire your beauty: He is your lord, pay homage to him. They are escorted amid gladness and joy; they pass within the palace of the king.

R/ On your right stands the queen, in garments of gold.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:20-26 Christ will be brought to life as the first-fruits and then those who belong to him.

Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia! Mary has been taken up to heaven; all the choirs of angels are rejoicing. Alleluia!

Gospel Luke 1:39-56 The Almighty has done great things for me.

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour; because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him. He has shown the power of his arm, he has routed the proud of heart. He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy – according to the promise he made to our ancestors – of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.