Seventh Gift

"The Almighty has done great things for me"

Gospel                                                                      Luke 1:46-56

Mary said:

    “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

        my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

        for he has looked upon his lowly servant.

    From this day all generations will call me blessed:

        the Almighty has done great things for me,

        and holy is his Name.

        He has mercy on those who fear him

        in every generation.

    He has shown the strength of his arm,

        and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

    He has cast down the mighty from their thrones

        and has lifted up the lowly.

    He has filled the hungry with good things,

        and the rich he has sent away empty.

    He has come to the help of his servant Israel

        for he remembered his promise of mercy,

        the promise he made to our fathers,

        to Abraham and his children for ever.”

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months

and then returned to her home.

Joy and Gratitude

By Ann Leslie Baclayon

God is good all the time.

Have you ever felt the sheer joy of watching an unfulfilled promise turn into an answered prayer? A positively overwhelming sensation of excitement throughout your body to the extent your heart aches? If yes, then we all probably felt the same way as Mary did in the Gospel reading. The Magnificat is about deep joy, praise, and fulfillment of God’s promise. And in my reflection, I can attest to God’s greatness and faithfulness to His people.

It was in the year 2018, a blank slate to begin with. During this time, I was at home doing all the necessary planning and preparation for the upcoming Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Licensure examination. It was the final test to reach the path of my chosen career. A step closer to my dreams. And along with it came a test of faith.

As a young adult at this time and age, I had a lot of responsibilities to digest. My daily routine includes attending in-house reviews, acing mock exams, keeping up appearances with friends and family members, rendering Sunday service, doing self-care activities, and more. I was busy juggling my time and effort until all that was left of me was close to a burnout/breakdown. It was a very radical time for me.

A night before D-day, the stillness of the night was deafening so I decided to spend the remaining hour of my day praying to God. As I can remember my supplication was, “If you permit me, O Lord, to overcome this trial and let me pass this final test, I shall dedicate myself to serving well in the community of what is just and right. May Your will be done”. And with that, I hit the sack just like everyone else.

After enduring five long days of anticipation, the Licensure Examination results were announced. A dear friend phoned me to inform me that the results were out, leaving me dumbfounded and anxious. The call ended and I immediately opened the website to check the list of passers. I was nervously scrolling and to be honest, my anxiety was sky-high. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and my chest started to hurt a little. Until I saw my name on the list! I am overjoyed and overwhelmed with God’s grace and blessing.

Like Mary, I express my joy and gratitude through means of serving our community with compassion and commitment to everyone whom I meet along the way. I continue living up to the expectations and promises I made with Him up to this day.

My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit rejoices in God Savior. 

For he who is mighty and has done great things for me, and Holy is his name.

Prayer

Lord, as we echo the Canticle of Mary, we lift our hearts in gratitude for the gift of salvation. Like Mary, may we humbly accept your will and rejoice in the great things you have done for us. Let our souls magnify your goodness, and may our spirits exult in your mercy. Guide us, O God, to be instruments of your love and justice, as we ponder the mysteries of faith with the grace that Mary exemplified. Amen.

Gift for Jesus

I believe the best gift we can give to Jesus is to have a heart of devotion and gratitude — being thankful for all the blessings we receive and showing appreciation for the goodness around us. Being kind also goes a long way.

Ann Leslie Baclayon is a public servant who work as a 

Physiotherapist.  She is also an active volunteer in the indigent community, serving persons with disability and a Training Officer to Physical Therapy student-interns. On her spare time,  she also likes playing volleyball.