August 22, 2003, Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A reading from the Book of Judges.

The angel of the Lord came and sat under the Tarabinth in Offra that belonged to Joach the Abbezerate,

while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from

the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, The Lord is with you,

O champion. Gideon said to him, My Lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?

Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said,

Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?

For now the Lord has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.

The Lord turned to him and said, Go with the strength you have

and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you. But Gideon answered him,

please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh and I am the most

insignificant in my father's house I shall be with you the Lord said to him and you

will cut down Midian to the last man. Gideon answered him,

If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me.

Do not depart from here I pray you until I come back to you and bring out my offering and

set it before you.

He answered, I will await your return. So Gideon went off and prepared a kid

and a measure of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a

pot, he brought them out to him under the tarabinth and presented them.

The angel of God said to him,

Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock, then pour out the broth.

...