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The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

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.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

Daily Gospel Commentary

Saint Simon and Saint Jude, apostles - Feast

Commentary of the day
Saint John Chrysostom (c.345-407), priest at Antioch then Bishop of Constantinople, Doctor of the Church
Homily on the 1st letter to the Corinthians 4, 3 ; PG 61,34 (trans. breviary 24/08)

The apostles, witnesses to the risen Christ

Saint Paul said: “The weakness of God is stronger than all men” (1Cor 1,25). It is clear from this too that the gospel is divine. For whence did it strike twelve unlettered men to attempt such great enterprises, men who were living in marshes, or rivers, in desert places, who had never perhaps gone into a city or the public square ? Whence did it strike them to array themselves against the whole world ? That they were cowardly and unmanly, he who has written about them shows, inasmuch as he does not even deprecate nor try to gloss over their failings. This in itself is a powerful proof of the truth. What then does this man say about them? That after the innumerable miracles they had seen Christ work, when he was taken prisoner some fled, while the one who remained, although he was head over the rest, denied him.

Here were men who failed to stand up to the Jews when Christ was alive. Yet when he died and was buried they arrayed themselves against the whole world… Would they not have said to themselves: “What is this? He had not strength to save himself, will he protect us?” He did not defend himself when he was alive; will he reach out his hand to us now he is dead? When he was alive he did not conquer a single nation—shall we convince the whole world by speaking his name?”… Hence it is clear that, if they had not seen him risen and received this mighty proof of his power, they would never have risked such a gamble.