“God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary, in the village of Nazareth. The angel said, “Greetings! The Lord has blessed you and is with you.” Luke 1:28
Heavenly Father,
We opened the Advent book tonight and the story begins to unfold. Appropriately, for me, it begins with Mary, since I share her name. The angel tells Mary that you have blessed her and are with her. How great that must have been and how much it must have meant to her. Earlier in the evening I was listening to the hauntingly lovely song, “Mary Did You Know?” The words touch my heart every time I hear them. Did she truly know and understand, Lord? When the angel told her she had been blessed and found favor with God, and would bear your son, what multitude of thoughts must have rushed through her mind and heart! Wonder? Awe? Fear? Confusion? How could this be? What did it really mean ?
The words of the song ask many questions of hindsight....”Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?”.....”did you know he would save our sons and daughters?”. Mary must have trembled with fear as well as wonder, if she had any inkling of what was to come. She probably didn’t understand at that point of beginning that her son would not rule on earth, but instead die a cruel death, but rise again to rule on high. The most reassuring words the angel spoke to her were, “The Lord is with you”. She need not be afraid because God was with her at that moment and would be with her through every moment to come, every step of the way.
One of my favorite lines in the song is: “Mary did you know....when you kissed your little baby that you kissed the face of God?” We all long to see the face of God, to kiss it, to know a relationship so close to God and so intimate! Did Mary know she held you in her arms? Did she feel the power of God in her tiny baby? Her mother’s love was a holy love encompassing a holy child. Maybe that is what all love is. Every time we kiss our babies or any human being we, “kiss the face of God”. That is part of what you came to teach us......”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Love is what the baby was all about. Embracing others with the love a mother feels for her baby is a perfect image of God’s love for us that we are to show to others.
Love, came to earth. Love was born on Christmas morn. It all begins with Mary and her willingness to accept God’s will in her life. Her reward? She was blessed with a tiny baby, who was-----”the great I AM!” We too can be blessed with your greatness, Lord, when we open our hearts to your love and let the baby, Jesus come inside and change our lives forever. Help me to open my heart to you and allow you to grow there and shine forth to others.
Heavenly Father,
We opened the Advent book tonight and the story begins to unfold. Appropriately, for me, it begins with Mary, since I share her name. The angel tells Mary that you have blessed her and are with her. How great that must have been and how much it must have meant to her. Earlier in the evening I was listening to the hauntingly lovely song, “Mary Did You Know?” The words touch my heart every time I hear them. Did she truly know and understand, Lord? When the angel told her she had been blessed and found favor with God, and would bear your son, what multitude of thoughts must have rushed through her mind and heart! Wonder? Awe? Fear? Confusion? How could this be? What did it really mean ?
The words of the song ask many questions of hindsight....”Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?”.....”did you know he would save our sons and daughters?”. Mary must have trembled with fear as well as wonder, if she had any inkling of what was to come. She probably didn’t understand at that point of beginning that her son would not rule on earth, but instead die a cruel death, but rise again to rule on high. The most reassuring words the angel spoke to her were, “The Lord is with you”. She need not be afraid because God was with her at that moment and would be with her through every moment to come, every step of the way.
One of my favorite lines in the song is: “Mary did you know....when you kissed your little baby that you kissed the face of God?” We all long to see the face of God, to kiss it, to know a relationship so close to God and so intimate! Did Mary know she held you in her arms? Did she feel the power of God in her tiny baby? Her mother’s love was a holy love encompassing a holy child. Maybe that is what all love is. Every time we kiss our babies or any human being we, “kiss the face of God”. That is part of what you came to teach us......”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Love is what the baby was all about. Embracing others with the love a mother feels for her baby is a perfect image of God’s love for us that we are to show to others.
Love, came to earth. Love was born on Christmas morn. It all begins with Mary and her willingness to accept God’s will in her life. Her reward? She was blessed with a tiny baby, who was-----”the great I AM!” We too can be blessed with your greatness, Lord, when we open our hearts to your love and let the baby, Jesus come inside and change our lives forever. Help me to open my heart to you and allow you to grow there and shine forth to others.
“Come, O come, Immanuel....God with us, God within us.....”O Holy Night!
amen
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