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<b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-weight:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:currentcolor none medium;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">Friends,
<span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b> in today’s Gospel of Luke, we find the Annunciation to Mary. Here is
what Gabriel said to the Virgin: “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus….The Lord God shall
give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”</b></span></span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:700;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">No first-century Israelite would
have missed the meaning here:<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> this child shall be the fulfillment of the promise made to King David.</b></span></span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">And
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> this means that the child is, in fact, the king of the world, the one
who would bring unity and peace to the nations. </b></span>The conviction grew upon
Israel that <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>this mysterious descendant of David would be king—<span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">not</span> just
for a time and <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">not</span> just in an earthly sense,</span> but forever and for all
nations.</b></span> This definitive king of the Jews <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>would be king of the world. He
would be our king, as well.</b></span></span></b><br></span></b></b><br> Reflect: Put yourself in Mary’s place at the Annunciation and write down a few
feelings and thoughts you would have had.<span style="background-color:rgb(249,203,156)"><b> Why was Mary able to clearly and firmly say “yes” to God’s request? </b></span></span></b></b></b></b></b></b>
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