Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 1:57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child
she gave birth to a son. 
Her neighbors and relatives heard
that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,
and they rejoiced with her. 
When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,
they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,
but his mother said in reply,
“No. He will be called John.” 
But they answered her,
“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 
So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 
He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”
and all were amazed.
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,
and he spoke blessing God.
Then fear came upon all their neighbors,
and all these matters were discussed
throughout the hill country of Judea.
All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,
“What, then, will this child be?
For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born… and the day you know why.”

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In today’s Gospel, we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. From the moment of his birth, people were wondering, “Why was this child born? What will he become?”

They intuit John will do something great for God, simply because of the circumstances that surround his birth: 

First, Zechariah was struck mute by the angel Gabriel in the Temple; then Elizabeth miraculously conceives this child in her old age; finally, the boy is not named after his father. Instead, his name is John.

In Hebrew, Jehohanan – or “John” – means, “God has been gracious.” After praying for their entire adult lives to have a child, God gives Elizabeth and Zechariah a son, whose mission will be to prepare the way of the Lord.

Certainly, God has been gracious.

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John reminds us that we all have a “why,” a reason for our lives given to us by God. My mother used to say, her “why” was simply becoming a mom, much like Elizabeth and Mary.

My “why” has been to serve God and his people as a priest.

What is your “why”?

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Perhaps the answer changes, even simplifies, over time. 

But we can all be sure of this: the same Lord who breathed air into our lungs at birth also gives us a purpose – not only in the grand scheme of things – but also in the little tasks we are called to do each day.

May we discover his will – and do it joyfully, even today.

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) David Wilbur (2) The Dominican Friars in Britain (3) Acuity Press Solutions

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Gospel: Luke 1:39-45

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah, 
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
cried out in a loud voice and said, 
“Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me, 
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, 
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Elizabeth welcomes Mary with open arms, making this the only passage in the Gospels where two women meet… and they’re both pregnant. 

These moms-to-be embrace, laugh, wonder, and wipe away each other’s tears, rejoicing over what has happened. Elizabeth is six months pregnant with John the Baptist. And, more importantly, God has taken on flesh in the womb of Mary.

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The backdrop of this embrace begins at the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, revealing that she’ll bear the Son of God in her womb. It’s a preposterous, risky proposal. “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” she questions.

Being found pregnant as a young teenager without a husband would’ve been a social taboo, a scarlet letter. Mary not only risks losing Joseph; she also risks losing her life. According to the Law, Joseph could have her stoned for such an offense.

And yet, she doesn’t consult a single human being before consenting to God’s will. 

Mary makes the decision herself, accepting Gabriel’s proclamation, revealing not only her purity of heart, but also her autonomy – as both a woman and a believer. She’s willing to risk everything in order to glorify God.

And so, Mary smuggles God into this world, keeping him safe inside her own body for nine months. In the process, she experiences a type of death-to-self. 

Her fiat – her “yes” – becomes the forerunner to the famous words later written by Saint Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who is living in me.” From the moment of the Annunciation onward, Mary and Christ are one.

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Seeking to share this Good News, Mary travels 80-miles through rugged hill country in order to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Their embrace leads to the first worship service where Christ is the cause and center.

Upon her arrival, John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth’s womb as Elizabeth praises Mary’s boldness and faith.

“How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” she exclaims. 

In the Old Testament, the “mother of my Lord” was a title reserved for the queen mother. She, not the king’s wife, reigned as queen. Her power and influence were second only to the king.

For example, at the moment of King David’s death, his son, Solomon, ascends the throne. And the first thing he does as king is bow to his mother. Solomon provides her with a throne, and says to her, “My mother, I will not refuse you” (1 Kings 2:19-20).

Thus, when Elizabeth greets Mary and calls her, “the mother of my Lord,” she not only recognizes that Mary is the new queen of Israel; she also recognizes that her child, Christ, is the king. 

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Mary humbly accepts this, but she elevates that praise to God, singing a song of adoration. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,” she says. “For he has looked with favor upon his lowly servant.”

Though she may be queen, Mary bows in adoration to Christ the King.

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What makes Mary and Elizabeth’s worship even richer is the fact that both of them rejoice in the midst of uncertainty.

Mary must’ve wondered, “Will Joseph accept me as I am? After all, I did not consult him about this pregnancy.”

Elizabeth must’ve wondered, “Will Zechariah, her husband, speak again after being struck mute by an angel in the Temple?”

Both of them must’ve wondered whether or not they’d survive childbirth, if they’d be worthy mothers of these children, and what, exactly, their children would become.  

Yet in their uncertainty coupled with joy, they worship the Lord.

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It’s what we do every time we gather as a community of faith. We celebrate the unknown, the providence of God in our lives, our gratitude for the past, and our hope for the future.

May Mary and Elizabeth pray for us, that we’d welcome Christ this Christmas, smuggling him first into the warmth of our hearts, then sharing this Good News with the world.

Salvation has come!

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Image credits: (1) Our Sunday Visitor (2) The Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine (3)

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Gospel: Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On Wednesday, we heard Joseph’s account of the Annunciation. An angel appeared to him in a dream, encouraging him to take the miraculously pregnant Mary into his home.

Today we roll back in time, hearing Mary’s account of the story.

The angel Gabriel promises that she’ll conceive the Son of God in her womb. Her initial reaction is that of fear and confusion. “How can this be?” she wonders. But Gabriel consoles her, “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God!” 

Mary was afraid for several reasons. First, she’s staring at angel! Who of us has ever seen a divine creature before? Secondly, as their conversation ensues, she begins to realize what is at stake.

She’s about to become a mom. There’s no guarantee that Joseph will accept the news. No guarantee that Mary will be accepted. No guarantee Joseph will help her to raise this child. 

Yet, without consulting anyone, Mary solemnly declares:

“Let it be done unto me according to your word.”

She surrenders to the angel, because she loves God more than Joseph, more than her future, even more than herself.

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Thus, the Christmas story begins with Mary’s fulfillment of the Law, which states: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your mind, body, heart, and soul.” 

Mary was willing to risk everything in order to glorify God.

Can we do the same?

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As we prepare to meet the Christ-child this Christmas, perhaps we might consider: 

Does God come first in my life? Or, at times, do other people or things take a higher priority?

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May the Blessed Mother, who accepted God’s providence in her life, pray that we would do the same. May it be done unto us according to His Word.

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Image credits: (1) The Anunciation, Fra Angelico (2) We Dare to Say (3) Church of the Ascension