This is the last Sunday of Advent before Christmas (which for many of you last only one day for Liturgical Christians Christmas last until Epiphany Jan 6th) and one this Sunday the Gospel reading is as follows:
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
This Sunday is called love as the foruth Advent candle is lit. In this reading we see that Mary the great Theotokos said in essence yes to God giving freely love. As we wait in hopeful anticipation for the coming Christmas day can we say yes to God? Can we put aside the animosity we harbour in our hearts to say yes to God and to say yes to love?
St. Paul by God's inspiration wrote this about love:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
As humans this is not easy to do at all. We can all say sure it is with God's help and you would be right if we weren't humans and had no free will, but we are and we do. It takes work to forgive and love our enemies whom we believed have wronged us which includes those on the other side of the political isle, the other side of our Christian isle but love we must. It is hard and we will always slip up but God is there to forgive us and help us so that we to like the Holy Mother Mary can say yes.
A prayer:
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”
38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
This Sunday is called love as the foruth Advent candle is lit. In this reading we see that Mary the great Theotokos said in essence yes to God giving freely love. As we wait in hopeful anticipation for the coming Christmas day can we say yes to God? Can we put aside the animosity we harbour in our hearts to say yes to God and to say yes to love?
St. Paul by God's inspiration wrote this about love:
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
As humans this is not easy to do at all. We can all say sure it is with God's help and you would be right if we weren't humans and had no free will, but we are and we do. It takes work to forgive and love our enemies whom we believed have wronged us which includes those on the other side of the political isle, the other side of our Christian isle but love we must. It is hard and we will always slip up but God is there to forgive us and help us so that we to like the Holy Mother Mary can say yes.
A prayer:
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
