4th Sunday of Advent – Blessed are You

“When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled’” (Luke 1:41-45).

God is present to each of us in different ways. In the encounter described in this Gospel passage, Elizabeth was aware of the presence of God in Mary. We are challenged to become aware of the presence of God in our own lives. How is God present to you in the people with whom you live and work? Where is God present to you in nature? What about the person next to you on the train or plane?

Elizabeth shows us that when we see goodness, we should acknowledge it, both to the other person and to God. This gratitude creates more goodness, and naming it gives us appreciative and joyful hearts.

We live in a time and place very different from the first century Palestine of Mary and Elizabeth. But we and those holy women have some important things in common. Like Mary, we too discover God’s will for ourselves in prayer and reflection. Then, like Elizabeth, we too live it out as a prayer of praise and gratitude.

When you look over the past year of your life, for what or for whom are you grateful?

Adapted from PrayerTime: Faith-Sharing Reflections on the Sunday Gospels, available at the RENEW International store