We rejoice, for the Light of the World has come to darkness. Jesus Christ is the Light that no darkness can overcome. Advent is a season of preparation as God’s people watch and wait for Christ. We will be pondering the songs found in the gospel of Luke. The song of an old priest named Zechariah. Mary, the pregnant teenager. And angels come to shepherds in the countryside. We ponder these songs and rejoice.
Invocation
Make the sign of the cross, and say,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Invitation Prayer
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. The light no darkness can overcome.
Jesus, open our eyes to your light and our ears to your words of hope. Come, O long-expected Jesus. Our hope is in you. Amen.
Word: Luke 1:46-47; 54-55
“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior … He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever’”
Meditation: Faith over Fear
Today’s meditation is written by Allison Lewis.
When we study Mary, we tend to focus on her interaction with the angel Gabriel, as described in Luke 1:26-38. Mary is troubled and confused about the angel’s message and what it means to be “favored” by the Lord. She has questions, and rightly so:
“What kind of greeting is this?”
“How is this even possible, since I am a virgin?”
“Why me?”
Mary’s fear outweighs her faith.
But she’s not alone. You and I experience situations where our fear outweighs our faith. Maybe it’s a loved one whose health is declining; worry over a child who is away at college; financial troubles; unemployment; or something else.
We let our fear outweigh our faith.
A few verses later, we find a complete reversal of Mary’s emotional state.
Her song of praise, called the Magnificat, shows a different Mary. She praises God, saying: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).
Mary’s fear is replaced with faith. Despite the angel Gabriel’s words, she chooses to believe the Lord and trust in his promises:
“He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:54-55).
Mary’s heart rejoices; her spirit is light.
Faith surpasses Mary’s fear.
She knows that God has a plan that is so much bigger and better than anything she can imagine. This plan fulfills the Lord’s promise to the people of Israel and to Abraham, and to you and me, his descendants.
My mom has a shirt that reads “Faith over fear.” It sounds simple, but I struggle daily to surrender my fear to my faith in God’s promises. Maybe you do, too. This Advent, I encourage you to study Mary’s song and choose faith over fear.
Dear Lord, thank you for your faithfulness. Help me to trust you like Mary did. Help me choose faith over fear. Amen.
Prayer for the World
· For my city, state, and country.
· For leaders: mayor, governor, president, congress.
· For those who serve the public: police officers, firefighters, teachers, first responders, medical personnel.
· For the nations of the world, for world leaders.
· For good government, good schools, good business.
· For justice, especially for the oppressed: minorities, immigrants and refugees, orphans, widows, the very young or unborn, the aged.
· For creation: for the care of land, air, wildlife, and sea.
Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, the condition and problems in my life require a miracle. Thank you for the miracle of the incarnation of your son Jesus. Continue to work the miracle of your salvation and redemption of the world each day. Amen!