The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us...

How does your day begin?  If you step outside here at Bahay Pag-asa at 5:00 AM you will find that a group of residents is already up and preparing breakfast for the others.  You might see the planet Venus still visible against the brightening sky.  You'll hear hundreds of roosters from a breeding farm down the road.  You'll see a lone boy or two walking between the kitchen and their dormitory and they always great you..."Brother, good morning" in my case.  At 5:30 a hand bell wakes up the others who gather, sleepily, in the chapel for the Angelus:
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
R. 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. AmenV. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
    Hail Mary, etc.V. And the Word was made Flesh.
R. And dwelt among us.
    Hail Mary, etc.V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. 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.

And so we begin our day, reminded that our God walks among us and that, although each of us suffers in ways both public and private, hope must be our constant perspective.