Homily for the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels (Year C - 9/29/2025)

Good morning. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Saint Michael, as we heard in the Book of Revelations, fought the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, and defeated the dragon and its fallen angels. Saint Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38) and Saint Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25), each time telling them not to be afraid but to trust in God’s divine plan for them. Saint Raphael appears in “the Old Testament story of Tobit. . . to guide Tobit’s son Tobiah” (Franciscan Media).

Saint Gregory reflected that “the word ‘angel’ denotes a function rather than a nature. . . those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels.” Saint Michael protects; Saint Gabriel announces; Saint Raphael guides. Moreover, Saint Gregory wrote that “Michael means ‘Who is like God’; Gabriel is ‘The Strength of God’; and Raphael is ‘God’s Remedy’. . . ”

We see these functions in the prayer to each of the archangels. The prayer to St. Michael to “come to [our] aid, fight for all [our] loved ones, and protect us from danger”:

“St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May GOD rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou o’ prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of GOD cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

The prayer to St. Gabriel to “help [us] clearly hear [God’s] voice and to teach [us] the truth”:

“O God, who from among all your angels chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the mystery of the Incarnation, mercifully grant that we who solemnly remember him on earth may feel the benefit of his patronage in heaven, with Jesus who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.”

And, finally, the prayer to St. Raphael for healing:

“Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the “medicine of God”, I humbly pray to you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor (name it) and the great grace of purity to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092925.cfm

Homily for the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C - 9/28/2025)

Good morning. Last Sunday, we heard the parable of the dishonest steward. At the core of that parable is the message of love: love of God and love of neighbor. The parable should have moved our hearts to love God in his creation and to will the good of our neighbor. Jesus challenges us to be good and faithful stewards of the many gifts and blessings that God has bestowed on us in our lives, because everything we have is a gift from God. Moreover, God gives us the gift of time, talent, and treasure not to further our own personal wants and desires; rather, He calls us to use those gifts to do what Jesus commissioned us to do at our Baptism. And that is, to build up his kingdom here on earth. 

This Sunday, at the core of Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not only the message of love of God and of neighbor but also a warning about the consequences of our inactions, when we fail to do “for these the least ones, [we] did not do for [Jesus]” (Matthew 25:31-46). When we stand in judgment before the throne of the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:11-16), will we find ourselves being comforted by Jesus, as Lazarus is comforted in the bosom of Abraham, or will we be judged and sentenced to eternal torment like the rich man? Will Jesus see each of us as his “good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23) and bless us: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied” (Luke 6:20-21)? Or will our Lord chastise us: “Woe to the complacent. . .“ (Amos 6:1, 4-7) and “. . .woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. . . .woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry” (6:24-25). 

This is the “great chasm” that exists between Lazarus and the rich man, the righteous and the damned, the sheep that are on the right and the goats that are on the left (Matthew 25:31-46). Like the “chain-links” that Jacob Marley forged in his life, link by link, we widen the “great chasm” of our life every time we, like the rich man, do not see the face of Christ in the Lazaruses that we encounter in our lives and do not love one another as God loves us, forgives us, and shows us mercy. For us, there is a “great chasm” between the person God created us to be in his image and after his likeness (Genesis 1:26) and who we are presently with all the messiness of our fallen human nature. It is the distance between our head and our heart. God placed his law within us, and wrote it upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:36). Our hearts know this and, yet, our minds tell us differently when we do not treat one another with the dignity of beloved sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, in all stages of life, from conception to natural death.

It is a “great chasm” that exists between who we are here at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and who we are out there when we live our lives as though nothing happened at Mass, as though the Eucharist did not change us to be more Christ-like. It is the great “chasm of grace,” grace that we receive from God but do not give to others. There is a point in the Liturgy of the Eucharist when we respond, saying, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” For indeed, we are not worthy but God still pours his mercy and grace in us when we receive Him in the Eucharist. The question then is: “Do we respond to one another with grace?” For example, when a couple has marital problems, do husband and wife give each other the grace to fail and fall but, by the grace of the Sacrament they both received, help each other to rise again and be reconciled together?

In the parable, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his father’s house to warn his five brothers so they do not come to the “place of torment” that he now finds himself. Thankfully for us, with every breath of life that God grants us, He gives us the opportunity to make changes in our lives to narrow the “chasm.” How? Saint Paul lays it out for us in his letter to Timothy when he tells us to “pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called. . .” In other words, we are called to live a Christocentric life by coming to Mass and receiving our Lord in the Eucharist, by surrendering ourselves to Jesus’ love and merciful healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Moreover, Saint Peter instructs us to ”let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. [And here is the hinge] As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:8-10). Good news! This weekend, our beloved parish is offering each one of us the opportunity to serve our fellow parishioners. Here at Saint Albert the Great, we have four English Masses every weekend. We need you to fulfill your Baptism promises to Christ and serve as liturgical ministers, no experience necessary, training included. You can proclaim the word of God as a lector or welcome people into the house of the Lord as a hospitality minister or greeter. You can help us spread the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ as a livestream technician. Or, you can be like Mary, who sat at the foot of the Cross and offered her Son to the world, by serving as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and giving the Eucharist to the faithful people of God.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, at our Baptism, Jesus commissioned each and every one of us and sent us into the world on a mission of mercy to serve others. Let us humbly walk with the Lord in service to God by faithfully serving his Church, because serving others helps us to close the “great chasm” through love of God and love of neighbor. Let us learn from the rich man’s mistake so that when we die, the angels of the Lord carry us away and we find ourselves on the right side of the great chasm. Only then can our hearts finally rest peacefully in the Sacred Heart of Jesus for all eternity and Jesus will say to us, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. . . Come, share your master’s joy.”

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092825.cfm

Click to listen: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/homily-for-the-twenty-sixth-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-9282025/

Antidote to Isolation - KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (9/22/2025)

Worthy Chapter President and Brother Knights,

I bring you greetings from our State Chaplain, Bishop Mulvey, and our Associate State Chaplain, Fr. Chen, whom I am in contact.

WE HAVE A BISHOP! We are blessed to welcome (home) Bishop Daniel E. Garcia as the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Austin. I invite all my brother Knights to read or listen to Bishop Garcia's homily, which he delivered at his Installation. I thank all my brother Sir Knights who were able to fall out for the Installation. It always warms my heart to process through the columns of Sir Knights with swords drawn. It is one of the things that makes the Liturgy in the Catholic Church so beautiful and majestic.

I would like to shift gears now and talk a bit about the column that Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly wrote in the latest edition of the Columbia magazine. The column is titled "An Antidote to Isolation". The Supreme Knight shared these troubling statistics:

A 2020 study found that 28% of men under 30 say they have no close friends. Meanwhile, young men now account for three out of every four “deaths of despair” from suicide or overdose, which have reached historic levels.

 A 2024 Pew study found that 67% of adults under 35 have interacted with an AI companion, and 23% say they prefer these digital relationships to human ones.

He also recognizes that deep down, men desire purpose in life, a sense of belonging, to be a part of something that is greater than themselves. The Supreme Knight states: "Yet, deep down, every man wants to protect and provide — and to serve a cause greater than himself. This is the journey of the spiritual life, and it’s the greatest adventure any man can undertake. It is a life that demands heroism and courage. It’s a life that matters." It is as Saint Augustine observed that our hearts are restless until it rests in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Men will look anywhere and everywhere to fulfill their deepest desires and longings, but they are looking in all the wrong places (money, power, sex, addictions, etc.).

Supreme Knight Kelly then rightly concludes that the Knights of Columbus is the "antidote to isolation" that some many men of all ages, especially young men, are seeking in their lives. This is what he had to say:

This is what the Knights of Columbus offers. We give men the chance to live that life of courage, to be part of something much greater than themselves — and to do that while connecting with like-minded men.

This friendship is the foundation of our fraternity and the goal of our Cor initiative. Cor brings men together in an atmosphere of trust so they can strengthen their relationship with Christ and form genuine friendships in him.

 I completely agree with the Supreme Knight. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as I was watching my nephew play baseball with his teammates, this reflection came to me (pertinent excerpt below):

When we isolate ourselves, we become easy targets for the Evil One to seduce us. However, when we are part of a community that loves, respects, and supports each other, starting with our family, we are strengthened, we have a greater sense of belonging, and we watch after each other - iron sharpens iron.

And so, my brother Knights, I urge you all to take to heart my challenges for the month of October and make the effort to help foster a sense of community for the men in your families and at your parishes. Blessed Michael J. McGivney recognized a need for fraternity among men so that they can support each other with prayers and friendship. From this humble desire came our beloved Order. That is his legacy for all of us and he trusts us to share this legacy with other men so that they too can come to know and have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be part of a community of men of faith, hope, and love.

Vivat Jesus!

Here is a link to my previous report from the Chapter meeting in August:

Sign of Hope - KC Austin Chapter - A Report of the Spiritual Director (8/25/2025) (UPDATED: 9/12/2025)

Deacon Phúc’s challenges for all Knights for the month of October

• PERSONAL & FAMILY: As Pope Francis once told us, “waste time” with your family, especially your children. Do not let them spend so much time on social media, video games, etc., get them involved with team sports or group activities. Invite them to Cor.
• COUNCIL: Invite brother Knights to Council meetings that you have not seen in a long time (or at least check in on them). We did this during the pandemic, let’s do it now as well.  Invite them to Cor. Host events for families that do not involve them helping in the kitchen or at the pit (i.e., picnic).

Homily of Bishop Daniel E. Garcia at his Installation Mass (September 18, 2025)

On September 18, 2025, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia was installed as the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Austin. Bishop Garcia delivered a powerful homily.

I am blessed and grateful to my brother deacons, Deacon Guadalupe, for sharing with me the link to the YouTube recording of Bishop's homily and to Deacon Mike for taking the time to transcribe Bishop's homily and sharing it with me.

I invite you all to read or listen to Bishop's homily.

. . .

Today’s first reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah is often used and deemed appropriate for the ordination of a priest, deacon or bishop. But it reminds us all that by virtue of our baptism, we who have been anointed and are called to be those messengers of hope, of joy, of mercy and compassion that our world today is so much in need of my friends. Our world is hungry for the word of God, for the bread of life and the cup of salvation, but it is also hungry for justice and mercy.  Look around every day there are stories after stories of hurt and misery. We find them in our families, amidst our friends and co-workers. We may not be able to prevent some of the hurt that is experienced, but we can make decisions as to how we choose to respond when we encounter these events.

About an hour and a half south of where I lived in Carmel, California there is the New Camaldoli Hermitage. It is situated about two miles up the San Lucia Mountains overlooking the Pacific coast. The site is unbelievably beautiful.  The Camaldolese Monks offer anyone who wants to go a place that removes us from the everyday stuff that can cloud our vision and obstruct our hearts from listening to the voice of God. Soon after I arrived there I commented to the prior, after driving up the crooked road to the Hermitage.  I said, I understand that this is a good place to get away and listen to God, but why is it that you monks cannot find God down at the bottom of the mountain? I said this in jest, but not completely. Most of us here are not called to that kind of life.

Most of us are called to come down the mountain to find God through the experiences and people we encounter along the journey of life.  God calls you and me to get our hands and feet dirty. He calls us to walk with people who are hurting and who find themselves in situations that are very messy and complex. He challenges you and me to seek the good in each and every person, even those who have hurt or offended us. And, why? Because I believe that God has created each and every one of us in his own image. But that image can become disfigured over time and perhaps undesirable, but to God, no one is undesirable.  Jesus never stopped trying to soften people’s hearts regardless of who they may be or where they are from.

Today we live in a world where all too often we find ourselves fostering division and hate and angst towards those who believe different from us. We have to relearn how to have conversations where we can disagree with one another, yet still be able to sit at table and enjoy each other’s presence rather than looking for what we do not like in the other. In my office, ever since I was a young priest, I always hung a picture of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, A hero of mine that has the bottom of that picture, I have a dream. My history and experiences as a child, a teenager and as a priest in the church in regards to race and religious indifferences in the church and in our society has often been heartbreaking, yet real.  Because of my own experiences, I can tell you that I have no tolerance for racism, prejudice, or unacceptance because one is different or thinks different than I do. We need to call it out when we see it or experience it.

You would think that we could learn from the errors of our past and mistakes of our past and the history of the church, but also in our world.  We as a church must not give into the voices of those who want to sow seeds of hate and fan the flame of division when it comes to race or religious differences.  Pain and hurt can be found on so many levels in our society. In our world, we experience it in our politics.  We see it so palpably in Ukraine or Russia, South Sudan, Gaza and Israel just to name a few places.  So many of our family members and friends experience and suffer from mental health, domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse.  Where are our voices when we see it?  Where are our actions in response? I believe God weeps each and every time any of our brothers and sisters are hurt by actions, words, gestures, thoughts, but also through our indifferences to their struggles.

We cannot stand by and say we love God and yet look away from our neighbor even if they are here legally or not.  The hateful and viral rhetoric towards our immigrant brothers and sisters today is shameful. We will all be held accountable to our actions and lack thereof.

In his apostolic exhortation, evangelical Pope Francis explained the woe of the world without weeping, elaborating on Jesus’ words.   Pope Francis warns us in this quote almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain and feeling a need to help them as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own.

My friends, it is time for you and me to change the way we treat one another, especially the least among us, those who live on the margins and peripheries of our society and those who are different from us.  If our church is to be one that is to grow, we must first and foremost make people feel welcome and help people to see that they have gifts that are to be honored and treasured.

Sunday after Sunday we gather around an altar like this, not because we are perfect but because we are not perfect.  We all seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom to become more like him.  It is from this table of the Eucharist and this table of the Word that we are strengthened to be Christ for one another.

So my friends, please join me in working together here in diocese of Austin to make this local church a beacon of goodness, mercy, hope and joy for all who visit and all who call this diocese home.  Today I invoke the patron saint of the diocese of Monterrey Saint Junipero Serra and our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the diocese of Austin.  As together we seek to walk humbly with God.  May the Eucharist we receive this day give us courage to be the men and women that God is calling us to be gathered as one family in Christ and with confidence that comes from the Holy Spirit.  We offer our prayers for the Universal church, for this local church and for the needs of the whole world.

Click to watch Bishop's homily at his Installation on 9/18/2025:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mt3mush4A&t=1990s

Homily for Monday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time (Year C - 9/22/2025)

Good morning. Jesus is the light of the world. He is the Word of God that lights our path in the journey of life. At our baptism, we received the light of Christ. As the Order of Baptism states: “this light is entrusted to [us] to be kept burning brightly, so that. . . enlightened by Christ, [we] may walk always as a child of the light and, persevering in faith, may run to meet the Lord when he comes with all the Saints in the heavenly court.” This is the light that our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of in today’s Gospel, a light that should not be concealed with a vessel or set under a bed, but placed on a lampstand for all to see the light.

Moreover, during Order of Baptism, there is the Ephaphatha Rite that goes like this: “May the Lord Jesus, who made the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, grant that you may soon receive his word with your ears and profess the faith with your lips, to the glory and praise of God the Father.” And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, at our Baptism, which we have all received, we are called to be participants in the mission of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To use a sports analogy, we did not get baptized to stay on the “sidelines” but to enter into the “game”, to step into the mission field, and evangelize, to “[go], therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Jesus has] commanded [us]” (Matthew 28:19-20).

How have we spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in our lives, starting with our families and in our circle of friends, in word and in how we live our lives as witnesses of Jesus’ love and mercy in the world? Because, on Judgment Day, when we stand before the Lord of lords and King of kings, when all our words and actions are laid bare before God and us to see, for “there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light,” how will God judge us as a believer and follower of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

We come to Mass and receive the word of God in the Liturgy of the Word and the real presence of our Jesus Christ himself in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We are then sent forth from Mass to “go in peace, glorifying the Lord” by our lives, not only to be the light of Christ but to bring that light into a world fallen into darkness. That, my sisters and brothers in Christ, is what it means to live boldly as Catholics in the world, strengthened by the graces of the Sacraments we have received, especially the Eucharist, the source and summit of our Christian life.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092225.cfm

God Created Us to be in Communion with Him and Each Other

God created us in His image and after His likeness, including being in communion with one another as He is a communion of Three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - God.

When we isolate ourselves, we become easy targets for the Evil One to seduce us. However, when we are part of a community that loves, respects, and supports each other, starting with our family, we are strengthened, we have a greater sense of belonging, and we watch after each other - iron sharpens iron.

I see this in team sports because the members of sport teams learn to depend on each other, trust their coaches and teammates, and cheer each other on and lift each other up. Each member learns that they cannot do it on their own; they need each other. This is a valuable lesson in life that I know my nephew and niece will carry with them throughout their lives, and I am grateful for this for them.

"Local individuals and groups can make a real difference. They are able to instill a greater sense of responsibility, a strong sense of community, a readiness to protect others, a spirit of creativity and a deep love for the land. . ." (Pope Francis, On Care for Our Common Home [Laudato Si’], nos. 179, 219).

Homily for Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Year C - 9/15/2025)

Good morning. Today, we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. There are two options for the Gospel readings for today. One is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, verses 33-35, which is “Simeon’s prediction about a sword piercing Mary’s soul”: Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." The other is from the Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 25-27, which we just heard proclaimed. The former is the prediction of Jesus’ death on the Cross, the latter the fulfillment of Simeon’s prediction.

Mary was a “sorrowful yet powerful figure” as she stood by her Son while he hung on the Cross. Saint Ambrose said that “[his] mother stood before the Cross, and, while the men fled, she remained undaunted . . . She did not fear the torturers . . . His Mother offered herself to his persecutors.” Mother Mary prayed, “lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument,” as Saint Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy, today’s second reading. In Mary, our Lady of Sorrows, we learn that even in the midst of our own sorrows, hurt, and pain, we are called as Christian to respond from a place of love, not fear, and certainly not from a place of anger or hate. When we respond in the same way that Mary responded to the torture and death of her beloved Son, we come to realized that “[this] is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.”

This is why, as Christ hung on the Cross, he gave his Mother to us and us to his Mother through Saint John the Evangelist as he said to them and us: "Woman, behold, your son." and “Behold, your mother." In their grief, Jesus did not leave them to themselves. He gave them to each other. Christ does the same for us, calling us to be in communion with each other as God is a communion of Three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - God. In this way, we comfort one another in times of sorrows while Jesus consoles us, through his Mother Mary and through his Real Presence in the Eucharist. And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when we come up in a few moments here, to the altar of the Lord, to receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, at Holy Communion, let us be like Mary and leave our sorrows, hurt, and pain at the foot of the Cross of Christ and trust that he will console and heal us, giving us the strength and courage we need to move forward with faith, hope, and love in merciful and loving God.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091525.cfm

Homily for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Year C - 9/8/2025)

Good morning. Today, we celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nine months after her Immaculate Conception as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. This is one of the most ancient Marian feasts. The Feast began to be celebrated in Rome in the 8th century with Pope Sergius. Tradition tells us that  Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife Anne, by their childlessness. Then, an angel revealed to Anne when he appeared to her and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.”

Saint Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance, and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ: “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley,” Mary is the virgin that Isaiah prophesized: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel. . .” (7:14), which means "God is with us." It is as we heard in today’s first reading, from the prophet Micah: “You, Bethlehem. . . From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel. . . He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD. . . for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.”

Now, we are all familiar with the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus and she responded: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of the Annunciation of Saint Joseph. The angel Gabriel appeared to him, saying: “For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. . . When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.”

St. John Paul II wrote that “Joseph not only heard the divine truth concerning his wife's indescribable vocation; he also heard once again the truth about his own vocation. This "just" man, who. . . loved the Virgin of Nazareth and was bound to her by a husband's love, was once again called by God to this love.” And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, it is the same with us. In both annunciation stories, the angel Gabriel spoke these words to Mary and Joseph: “. . .do not be afraid. . .” Mary’s and Joseph’s responses to God are a reminder to us all of how we are called to respond to God in our own lives, not from a place of fear but from a place of trust that is rooted in our faith in God. Faith that moves us to act in obedience and with courage to God’s will for us in the vocation that He calls each of us to in our lives, whatever it may be.

Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090825.cfm

Sources:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/the-birth-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-357 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/liturgical-holidays/feast-of-the-nativity-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-.html 

https://aleteia.org/2023/03/19/have-you-heard-of-the-annunciation-to-joseph/