S4, E3 - The Annunciation Decade Meditation

The mission of the Ponder and Magnify Podcast is to seek an encounter with Jesus through praying the rosary, relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary. In this episode, listeners are invited to pray with their imaginations through a decade meditation on the account of the Annunciation from Luke 1: 26-38. May we all be in Heaven together one day! Praise be to God!

Transcript

Jessica: 0:04

Hello, and welcome to the Ponder and Magnify podcast, where our mission is to seek an encounter with Jesus through praying the Rosary, relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary. I am so happy that you are here. Hello. In this episode, we're going to meditate on the Annunciation as we pray a decade of the rosary. And this meditation was inspired by our conversation with Father Hecktor in the last episode, and this realization that we live our lives anticipating eternity as the best possible good. And Jesus actually leaves eternity, the best possible good, to come to earth for us, for our good. It's just mind-blowing. That was really the inspiration behind this meditation. So before we start, let's pause and reflect on what we're bringing to prayer. What are your joys in this moment? What sorrows are you feeling right now? Do you have any fears in this moment? What are you desiring? Whom do you wish to pray for? Let's let the Lord meet us in all of those places. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jesus, we ask you to speak directly into our circumstances. Mary, thank you for praying with us and for us now. Holy Spirit, please anoint the gift of our imagination so that we might come to encounter Jesus more deeply through it. The first joyful mystery is the Annunciation. A reading from the Gospel of Luke. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her he said, Hail, favored one, the Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. But Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no relations with a man? And the angel said to her in reply, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible for God. Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Then the angel departed from her. Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. From heaven, Jesus looked down on Mary, the gate through which he would enter the world, contemplating all that was to come. 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. From heaven, Jesus heard Mary's words. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Jesus' heart was moved by her surrender, her acceptance of the unknown for his sake. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. Jesus asked the Father the question he had asked again and again with such eagerness. "Father, is it time now?" 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. The Father answered Jesus, "Yes, my son, it is time now." Oh, how Jesus had longed to hear those words from the moment Adam and Eve had been sent out of the garden. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. The Father continued, "But first, my son, come here." Jesus moved closer to the Father and stood before him. The Father was quiet, just studying Jesus' face with such love. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. And as the Father continued to look at Jesus, he became overwhelmed with anguish in anticipation of Jesus' suffering. He was moved to tears. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. Jesus could not bear the Father's pain and threw his arms around the Father. They held each other so close, crying, knowing what was to come. The Father spoke through his tears, "My Son, I will not leave you for a single moment." 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. Jesus responded, "I know, Father, that's how I know it will be okay." Then, composing himself and directing the Father's gaze back to the earth, Jesus said, "Just look at them, Father. They are lost. We must save them, whatever the cost." Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. The Father wiped his tears on his sleeve and said, "You are right, my Son." Jesus assured the Father, "They will know our love by this sacrifice, and it will bring them home." Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. The Father nodded with tears still in his eyes. "Go, my son, go, show them our heart." Jesus gave the Father one more lingering hug and descended from heaven to Mary's womb. And the Father looked on and wept, longing for his Son and all of humanity to return to him. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are 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. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen. O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to Thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you, Holy Spirit. What a gift it is to pray with you and for you. We promise to be praying for you, and we ask for you to please be praying for us. May we all be in heaven together one day. Praise be to God.