Seventh Gift

"The Magnificat"

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.

Joyful 

By Jo Canon

Mary's powerful fiat  challenges us to live a faithful life.  She was humble enough to make haste to assist her cousin Elizabeth. Imagine she was conceiving the son of the Most High and yet it did not keep her from answering the needs of those around her. 

Her response to the need of others was a fruit of her humility; her focus was not on herself but on sharing the love she experienced from God. This is what it means to be loved by God, to love others the way God loves us. 

If we only realized that we too are blessed, we will jump up and down and will not stop thanking God for the blessings we are continuously receiving. Thus, our gratitude will be expressed in every visitation we are doing and gifts we are sharing. 

This advent lets give the gift of time to our loved ones, time to visit the sick, the elderly and most importantly those who are in need of  justice, hope and love.

Prayer

Thank you  Mama Mary for your unconditional love and protection.  Like her,  may we share our  time and energy to help others the same way as Mary did for her cousin Elizabeth.  

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen

Gift for Jesus

This Christmas, let us go back to the basics.  Gift your friends and family with a greeting card and write your message of appreciation and affirmation. 

Jocelyn Canon is a member of the Legion of Mary and Comite de Festejos of Pasig City.