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.

God is good all the time.

As today is the feast of the annunciation of the Lord, my prayer is that we all respond to our baptismal character and calling in Christ to continue to grow in grace just like Mary. 

The annunciation is a special day to pray to God that he may pour out his Spirit and graces upon each of us as He bestowed both gifts on Mary. The Angel Gabriel said to Mary:  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. Then he also told her : The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Also, because the annunciation linked Joseph, who was David's descendant, to Jesus and Mary, today it makes a beautiful opportunity to pray the Angelus and the Litany of St. Joseph. Therefore, I encourage you to make these prayers any time of the day, particularly at 12 noon or 6 pm.

The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary...
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.
Litany of Saint Joseph

Lord, have mercy.	Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.	Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.	Lord, have mercy.
God our Father in heaven,	have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,	have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,	have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,	have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,	pray for us.
Saint Joseph,	pray for us.
Noble son of the House of David,	pray for us.
Light of patriarchs,	pray for us.
Husband of the Mother of God,	pray for us.
Guardian of the Virgin,	pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God,	pray for us.
Faithful guardian of Christ,	pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family,	pray for us.
Joseph, chaste and just,	pray for us.
Joseph, prudent and brave,	pray for us.
Joseph, obedient and loyal,	pray for us.
Pattern of patience,	pray for us.
Lover of poverty,	pray for us.
Model of workers,	pray for us.
Example to parents,	pray for us.
Guardian of virgins,	pray for us.
Pillar of family life,	pray for us.
Comfort of the troubled,	pray for us.
Hope of the sick,	pray for us.
Patron of the dying,	pray for us.
Terror of evil spirits,	pray for us.
Protector of the Church,	pray for us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,	have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,	have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,	have mercy on us.
God made him master of his household,	And put him in charge of all that he owned.

Let us pray.
O God, who in your inexpressible providence
were pleased to choose Saint Joseph
as spouse of the most holy Mother of your Son,
grant, we pray,that we, who revere him as our protector on earth,
may be worthy of his heavenly intercession.
Through Christ our Lord. . Amen.