Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said,
“My soul glorifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the
lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great
things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm:
he has scattered the proud
in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down the powerful
from their thrones but has
filled up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with
good things but has
sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy
according to the promise he made to
our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants
forever."
Reflection:
Take a few minutes to read the scripture passage slowly. Imagine God speaking to you and rejoicing in you as God's beloved child. Hear God calling you “blessed.” Take time to enjoy this experience.
How does it make you feel to be blessed by God? This is a gift that God wants to share with each one of us during Advent. This is possible because God is the Holy One. God is always faithful. We all experience God calling us blessed in different ways. Advent reminds us to be open to the surprising ways God blesses us, directly or through other people.
Mary reminds us that God fills us who are hungry for God with good things. What good things do you need today? Can you speak about that with God? God is ever faithful. Let us trust that all of God’s promises will be fulfilled.
God promises us a Savior, Emmanuel, God with us. May we recognize God's presence in our daily lives, in seeing the goodness of others and ourselves. May we bring light and hope we receive from God to all.
Closing Prayer:
Gracious and Loving God, You gave us Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to show us in his life and teaching, his death and resurrection the Way to bring about Your peace on Earth. We thank you for the gift of Jesus in our history, in our lives. Still, as we come to this Advent time of watching, waiting, expectation and hope, we are weary, divided, and anxious. We are faced with the divisions that cut through our nation. We are conscious of the need for truth and justice for all and where that is lacking. We are confronted by racism. We are tired of restrictions and cautions confining us in this time of pandemic. We feel the gnawing fear of this invisible, deadly virus, the sky-rocketing infection rates, intense suffering, and devastating numbers of deaths. We are worried in the face of job losses, economic insecurity, hunger, evictions, and homelessness. Despite all our anxiety, divisions and fears, we trust in You, Jesus, Prince of Peace. Make known your ways to us so that we may be a source of comfort and joy to all those in need. Amen.
