Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Third Week of Advent | USCCB
As we get closer to the day
we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we hear the gospel narrative of the
angel Gabriel approaching Mary with the good news of her being the mother of
the Messiah. She was confused at first. Mary was looking at the natural way in
which a woman would conceive a child. In today’s gospel we hear her say,
"How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" Once the
angel explains that it will be through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary
understood and gives her consent, her “yes”, "Behold, I am the handmaid of
the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)
Mary has a strong faith and
trust that God will be with her through what she knows will be a very difficult
situation. She’s not yet living with Joseph, so she’s concerned about what
people will think. But, instead of worrying about what people will think, she
places her trust in God. I’m sure she was scared about what will happen, but
her faith and trust in God allowed her to come to terms with being the mother
of the Messiah. God’s presence in her life brought peace and tranquility, knowing
that God is with her.
Mary and Joseph are two
examples of how we are to live our lives in service to God. They both were very
devout people devoted to God, and when God comes to them to bring the Messiah
into the world, they placed their fears into the loving hands of God and
trusted that God will be with them in all the circumstances surrounding the
birth of Jesus.
Mary was called to bring
Jesus into the world in a physical sense by being His mother. We, too, are
called to bring Jesus into the world that needs to know that He is Lord and
Savior. We are to pray daily, read scripture often, and, as often as possible,
receive our Lord in Holy Communion. Once we receive the Lord in Holy Communion,
we, too, are called to bring Jesus into the world, to our family, and to our friends.
It is in this way that we can bring His love and peace into a world that needs
to know His presence among us.
As we approach Holy
Communion, let us, like Mary, say, “I am the servant of the Lord, be it done to
me according to your word.”
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I agree! I love that we, too, are called to bring JESUS into the world--not biologically like Our Lady, but through His Presence within us that is increased when we receive Him in Holy Communion. YES, we need to be reminded that we are bringing Our LORD with us wherever we go, as Caryll Houselander wrote, comparing Our Lady carrying JESUS with our carrying JESUS.
At the end of Mass the priest or deacon has a choice of closing words, & each option reminds us that as we leave Mass we are to go in peace to love & serve the LORD & glorify Him by our lives as our way of bringing the JESUS we received in His Word & in the Eucharist into every aspect of our lives & share Him with others by the way we live & the words we say.