39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song:
46 And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.
Questions for Reflection:
Do you find it hard to be vulnerable with Jesus and/or with others about Him?
Are you in a season of waiting and how have you seen the Spirit move during this time for you personally?
Prayer of the Week:
Daily Opening Prayer (including 2 minutes of silence)
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I rejoice in the in the reality and opportunity to spend these moments in Your presence. It is so good to be with you Jesus, so good. Please, restore me in You and renew me in you that I might experience all of You that is possible. Fill me afresh Holy Spirit, saturate me in Your Love, saturate me in your Life and saturate me in Your JOY this day. Untangle me from my anxious thoughts, immerse me now in my true identity as a child of my heavenly Father with an irreplaceable role to play this day, in Your larger story.
Jesus, help me untangle from all other claims on my attention as I engage with you in this time. I ask for more of your JOY today and an increased capacity to REJOICE in You and all You are to me. I am open to You Jesus now … I rest in You… (Spend two minutes of reflective silence with eyes closed, this time is embedded in the audio version … just rest in the presence of yourself and Jesus!)
Daily Closing Prayer
Jesus, through the waiting of this Advent give me a deeper desire for you and for Your JOY in my life. I long for you and for a life of REJOICING! I long also for Your return to make all things new – when JOY and REJOICING will flow uninhibited! Jesus, I renounce any and all ways I tend to look to others and my circumstances as my source of JOY and my reason for REJOICING. I want You and all You have done, are doing and will do for me to be the foundation of my JOY - then I will be able see and not miss all the myriad people and experiences in my everyday life as invitations to REJOICE. Jesus, I admit that I am not good at JOY and REJOICING especially when my situation and circumstances are difficult and overwhelming. I trust Your grace in these moments. I trust you will meet me in those places as well. I know having your JOY does not ignore my reality but rather helps me navigate my reality with You in the center - and when You are with me then the possibilities HOPE and JOY and PEACE abound.
Thank you – Thank You – Thank You! I receive You now.
I am excited to see what you can do today. I know you can do amazing things, and I would love to be a part of them.
I am waiting for your cue.
Amen
