The Week of Joy
At the birth of your Son, you whisper to our hearts, Father, as you fill us with the joy of our salvation. We thank you. Amen
Weekly Advent Prayers by Betty Claire Jackson
By Jerome Malek
Luke 1:46-48
Then Mary said, “My heart is overflowing with praise of my Lord, my soul is full of joy in God my Savior. For he has deigned to notice me, his humble servant, and after this, all the people who ever shall be will call me the happiest of women!“
“Cross my heart.” This is a universal saying of children around the world. If we want to give even more credence to our promise, we include “hope to die”. Promises should be sacred, with the assurance that what is promised will be fulfilled. No room for doubt. The entire Christian faith is founded on the belief that the promises of God found in the Holy Scriptures are to be trusted. Some promises are easy to believe: “I’ll take you to the movies this afternoon.” Others are much more difficult to believe: “If you go to college you will be wealthy.”
Abraham was promised that his family would one day become a great nation. Mary was promised that she would be blessed above all women as the mother of the promised Messiah. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Mary’s response to the angel’s message was to lift her voice in praise to God.
Tell out my soul, the greatness of the Lord!
Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;
tender to me the promise of his word,
in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.
-Timothy Dudley-Smith