Good morning.
Today is Monday,
December 7th,
2020.
The Lord let my soul rise up to meet you as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to God,
The three-in-one creator,
Redeemer,
And sustainer.
As it was in the beginning,
Is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Come let us sing to the Lord.
Let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Remind yourself that you are in God's presence.
Notice how God may be speaking to you today.
Let yourself dwell on a word or a phrase that catches your attention or moves your heart,
And let your heart respond to God in prayer.
Please repeat these words.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Lord,
I believe.
Help my unbelief.
Our scripture today is Luke 1,
Verses 26 through 38.
Six months later,
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
To a young woman named Mary.
She was engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David.
Upon arriving,
The angel said to Mary,
Rejoice,
Highly favored one.
God is with you.
Blessed are you among women.
Mary was deeply troubled by these words and wondered what the angel's greeting meant.
The angel went on to say to her,
Don't be afraid,
Mary.
You have found favor with God.
You will conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus.
Deliverance.
His dignity will be great and he will be called the only begotten of God.
God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David,
His ancestor,
To rule over the house of Jacob forever.
And his reign will never end.
Mary said to the angel,
How can this be since I have never been with a man?
The angel answered her,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Hence,
The offspring to be born will be called the Holy One of God.
Know,
Too,
That Elizabeth,
Your kinswoman,
Has conceived a child in her old age.
She,
Who is thought to be infertile,
Is now in her sixth month.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Mary said,
I am the servant of the Lord.
Let it be done to me,
As you say.
With that,
The angel left her.
The Irish Jesuits lead us in this reflection practice.
Scripture leaves us no doubt about God being a long range planner.
He can determine a whole series of events to come to maturity in God's own good time.
In fact,
God has done this for the benefit of us all,
Planning even before the beginning of the world for us to become sisters and brothers of Jesus.
Today,
Let us thank God for planning to bring us into the family.
For the grand plan to come to completion,
The cooperation of Mary was needed.
Ask yourself this question.
How is my cooperation needed and what God is doing in my community today?
Where do I see God's invitation to me?
Please repeat these words.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Lord,
I believe,
Help my unbelief.
I invite you now in a moment of silence to hold someone's name before God.
Don't worry about diagnosing the person's needs or telling God what to do.
Simply hold the person before God.
Bless all who call on you,
Almighty God,
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
From your goodness enrich us,
By your love inspire us,
By your spirit guide us,
By your mercy protect us.
In your power receive us now and always.
We pray in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray.
Our Father which art in heaven,
Eternal God,
Earth maker,
Pain bearer,
Life giver,
Source of all that is and all that shall be,
Not only Father but Mother of us all.
May the hallowing of your name echo through the universe.
May the way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world.
May your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
May your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another forgive us.
In times of temptation and test,
Strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure,
Spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil,
Free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love now and forever.
Amen.
And now my friends may the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ go with you wherever he may send you today.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
Protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
Go in peace.
