Advent Day 13, December 13, 2024
“We need a little Christmas now.” Songwriter Jerry Herman
If you’re looking for a prayer app, let me suggest Lectio365, a 10 minute devotional resource composed by leaders of Prayer 24/7, an international Christian movement focusing on prayer, mission, and justice. My reflection this morning is motivated by yesterday’s Lectio scripture passage, Luke 1:39-45:
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Emphases mine.)
Look at the highlighted words. This passage may be one of the busiest, loudest, and most joy-filled passages in scripture! It’s as if a huge joy balloon is bouncing around the room and can’t hold one more breath. Notice all the action: got ready, hurried, greeted, leaped, filled, exclaimed, fulfilled. Conjure up an image of Elizabeth’s face and her baby, John, leaping for joy in her womb or the joyful embrace of these two women, while they are waiting.
While they are waiting. . .
Waiting doesn’t need to be a period where all we do is twiddle our thumbs, fret and worry, pace the floor, or kick the cat. It can be an active time, rather than a passive one, as these two expectant mothers demonstrate, an opportunity to extend and share joy. As the author of yesterday’s Lectio writes: “I see in this passage the sparks of holy activity, of joy meeting joy . . . conversation calling out blessing, life, promise, and favour over each other.”
What do you see?
Although the traditional “Joyful Sunday” (Gaudete Sunday) of Advent isn’t for a couple more days, the world “needs a little Christmas right now.” Looking with the eyes of Elizabeth, who do we see who needs a word of joy? A blessing? Who needs to be joyfully reminded of the yet unseen promises of God? And who might we want to thank for bringing joy to us?
Blessings ~ Rosemary
Photo: Visitation by Mariotto Albertinelli, 1503
Spirit Reflections 