O Radiant Dawn, come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
O Antiphon: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justic
e: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.
Today’s Gospel: Lk 1:39-45
…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, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of our 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….”
Reflection: “How does this happen, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” You can hear this utterance of Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, in a few ways. “What are you doing here!” would be one way. “Who am I that the Lord and his mother would come into my midst?” would be another. That second one is a point of prayer for each of us. Who am I? Why would God bother?
The answer of course, is what the Incarnation is all about, Jesus among us. We are children of God. God loves us so much that he sends his very self, Jesus, to become one of us and show us the way to be with God. Mary, Mother of the Church, Bearer of God, is a sign to all of us: be bearers of Christ to one another.
Let us pray: God, you know me better than I know myself. Open my heart to your saving love. In these final days before we celebrate your presence among us, help me to set everything aside and listen to your call.