Every day I pray the Angelus at 12 pm, taught to me by my Deacon mentor, Deacon Fred Grant who went on to eternal life in December 2020. It is a practice I am so grateful for that he taught me. The prayer is this:

As I prayed today and gazed upon a photo of the Blessed Virgin Mary, holding the baby Jesus, I thought about the meaning of her life. It struck me that it is no wonder why the devil so pushes abortion in the world. The great work Mary did was to say "Yes" to God’s will and carry a baby in her womb to term, give birth, and raise the child to adulthood. Of course, this was no ordinary child, but the Word of God made flesh as we pray in the 3rd stanza of the prayer.

It is no wonder why the evil one hates, and fears, the Virgin Mary. She humbly lived a hidden life for 30 years with Jesus. She said very little in the scriptures that we know. Phrases like, "Be it done unto me according to thy word", and "My soul magnifies the Lord", as well as "Do whatever he tells you".

I hope to embrace her humility more and more in the coming years., to relish a hidden life, and to say "Yes" to God’s will with my whole being. May the life of the Lord Jesus be born in all of us.