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. 

Eighth Gift

                                           Copyright from http://www.freebibleimages.org/

'His name is John'

Gospel                                                                           Luke 1: 57-66

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child

she gave birth to a son. 

Her neighbors and relatives heard

that the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,

and they rejoiced with her. 

When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,

they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,

but his mother said in reply,

“No. He will be called John.” 

But they answered her,

“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.” 

So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called. 

He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”

and all were amazed.

Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,

and he spoke blessing God.

Then fear came upon all their neighbors,

     and all these matters were discussed

throughout the hill country of Judea.

All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,

“What, then, will this child be?

For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

Renewal of Praise through Obedience

by Jhun Ray Esquillo

If we recall, in the announcement of the birth of John (Luke 1:5-25), Zechariah doubted the angel's promise that his wife would bear a son due to their advanced age. Because of this, he became speechless, which prevented him from praising God through his words. 

His speech was restored when he performed an act of obedience. He demonstrated it in Luke 1:62-64 when he was asked what the name of his son would be. Since he cannot speak, they made signs to ask him. He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,” and all were amazed. This is the same name that Elizabeth wants for their son. Immediately after agreeing to name his son John, his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessings to God.

This passage shows us that an act of obedience to our God, even if it's just one definite action, can renew our ability to praise Him. This is demonstrated when Zechariah's ability to speak and praise was restored because of his obedience in naming his son John. Because of obedience, his doubt transforms into devotion. Doubt is rooted in how we perceive the world through our senses, understanding, and feelings. Zechariah's knowledge that it is difficult to have a child in old age made him doubt the angel's promise. On the other hand, devotion is rooted in the reality of God, His will, His blessings, and His promises. When Zechariah obeyed, he regained his ability to speak, which allowed him to express his devotion through his words. 

Additionally, Zechariah's obedience in naming his son John breaks their naming tradition, which shows that God’s will takes precedence over all human traditions and customs. Our call as Christians is to align ourselves with His revealed will, regardless of what the world says, its traditions, and its customs. Obedience is considered the highest form of our response to our God because we are placing our will beneath God’s will. We believe that His will is better than our will, and His plans are better than our plans. It is also placing God’s will above human traditions and customs. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we prepare for Christ’s coming, renew my praise through humble obedience. There are times that I struggle with doubt and fear; Help me to trust you and your promises, grant me the grace to surrender my will and to place your will above my own desires. Teach me to align my life to your holy will so that, like Zechariah, I may proclaim Your faithfulness and goodness. Amen.

Gift for Jesus

Obedience is our gift to Him. Obedience is a tangible representation of our love for God. Placing His will above our will shows that we value the relationship with Him more than our own desires.  

Jhun Ray Esquillo is a mechanical engineer and a college instructor. He is also serving in CFC Singles for Christ.