Day 272 | Wednesday, 16 December 2020

Day 272 - Audio Version

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Day 272 | Wednesday, 16 December 2020

Let me share with you the reading from Luke 1:26-45.  This is the foretelling of the birth of Jesus and Mary’s visit to Elizabeth.

Luke 1:26-45 Jesus’ birth foretold CEB
26 When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, 27 to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” 29 She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. 31 Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. 33 He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. 36 Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. 37 Nothing is impossible for God.”
38 Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Mary visits Elizabeth
39 Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. 40 She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. 43 Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. 45 Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”

Hymn – “To a Maid Engaged to Joseph” words Gracia Grindal, 1983 (Luke 1:26-38)

1.   “To a maid engaged to Joseph, the angel Gabriel came. ‘Fear not,’ the angel told her, ‘I come to bring good news, good news I come to tell you, good news, I say good news.”

2.   “’For you are highly favored by God the Lord of all who even now is with you.  You are on earth most blest, you are most blest, most blessed, God chose you, you are blest!’”

3.   “But Mary was most troubled to hear the angel’s word.  What was the angel saying?  It troubled her to hear, to hear the angel’s message, it troubled her to hear.”

4.   “’Fear not, for God is with you, and you shall bear a child.  His name shall be called Jesus, God’s offspring from on high.  And he shall reign forever, forever reign on high.’”

5.   “’How shall this be?’ said Mary, ‘I am not yet a wife.’ The angel answered quickly, ‘The power of the Most High will come upon you shortly, your child will be God’s child.’”

6.   “As Mary heard the angel, she wondered at his words.  ‘Behold, I am your handmaid,’ she said unto her God. ‘So be it; I am ready according to your word.’”

“Holy One, who fashions the universe and creates all people, weave praise and compassion into the fabric of our lives. Let our hearts overflow with gratitude, always ready to sing, to pour out our praise.  Give us, also, hearts of compassion, ready to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, care for the forgotten. Forgive us our reluctance to reach out a helping hand, our rationalizations that mask our fears, our excuses that pale in the face of suffering. Cause us to hear Mary's song anew and give us courage to add our songs of praise and deeds of justice. Amen.”