Invitation and Preparation
O God, make speed to save us
O Lord, make haste to help us
(Silence)
Let us pray:
Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, merciful and gentle: to you be praise and glory for ever. Your light has shone in our darkened world through the child-bearing of blessed Mary; grant that we who have seen your glory may daily be renewed in your image and prepared like her for the coming of your Son, who is the Lord and Savior of all. Amen.
Listen and Receive
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:35-38
May the Word of God rest gently on our hearts, that when our hearts break the Word of God may flow in.
(Silence)
Reflect and Respond
Mary has heard from Gabriel the astounding news that she will conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit and this child will be the long expected Messiah. She hears that even Elizabeth, considered too old to bear a child, is pregnant. In her wonder, she hears Gabriel say that nothing is impossible with God. Mary responds in holy surrender, “Let it be to me according to your word.”
In the darkness, doubt, and fear of the world around us, many things seem impossible. In our waiting and longing for the fullness of the Kingdom, we can become dull and resigned to the limits of possibility. Yet, we have the hope of glory and the promise of Christ. We have the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to renew and transform us into the image of Christ as the Body of Christ. Even this is not impossible for God. May it be done to us according to His Word!
I wonder, as we prepare to celebrate the impossible made possible, how might God be calling you to bear the image of Christ as witness to the darkened world?
Blessed and Sent
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
In this season of light, may your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.