Fourth Sunday of Advent

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 your 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.”

Mary is blessed because she believed what God spoke to her would be fulfilled. We might not receive such direct revelations in our lives, but we should prepare ourselves to accept the messages we receive from God through the people in our lives. Elizabeth’s message to Mary is inspired by the Holy Spirit and in our own lives sometimes we say or hear things inspired by God. We might not always be able to understand or appreciate to these moments when God speaks to us through others, but we should try to keep our ears and hearts open to them. And if we do listen to these moments, then our souls will also proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in the graces that God, our Savior gives us each day.

Are we listening for the words and inspirations of God in our lives? What will we do if we hear them? Do our souls proclaim the greatness of God and our spirits rejoice in His saving graces?

O Lord, let our hearts leap for joy as we meet with Mary in prayer.

Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God.”

Just as the people murmured and complained against God and Moses in the desert, they also do the same to Jesus. How could he be the bread that came down from heaven? Don’t they know his family? What gives him the authority to teach his message? However, their grumbling deafens them to the underlying message of Jesus. He has come to feed the world with a gospel of love, mercy, and grace that promises those who partake in it everlasting life. We should keep in mind the muttering crowd whenever we feel like complaining about something to God. Jesus asks for us to accept his word with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. We cannot do that if we are focused on what’s wrong in our lives.

What do we complain about? How can we foster a spirit of resignation in regards to these problems in our lives so that they do not interfere with God’s message of love, mercy, and grace? What lessons have we learned from the life of Jesus?

O Lord, draw me to yourself and your teachings.

Amen.