Readings: Luke 1:46b-55; Isaiah 33:17-22; Revelation 22:6-7, 18-20

Modern Magnificat by Joy Cowley

My soul sings in gratitude.

I’m dancing the mystery of God.

The light of the Holy One is within me

and I am blessed, so truly blessed.

This goes deeper than human thinking.

I am filled with awe

at Love whose only condition

is to be received.

The gift is not for the proud,

for they have no room for it.

The strong and self-sufficient ones

don’t have this awareness.

But those who know their emptiness

can rejoice in Love’s fullness.

It’s the Love that we are made for,

the reason for our being.

It fills our inmost heart space

and brings to birth in us the Holy One.

[From John Shelby Spong’s website, A New Christianity For A New World, 19 December, 2007; progressivechristianity.org]

A young and innocent Mary  approached by an Angel with a message that would change her life forever.  I am in awe of her.  She is so brave and it makes me ponder as to whether I could have been so accepting of this Angel’s message.  Mary was humble yet strong, fearful yet faithful.  She could have been miserable, but instead magnifies the Lord.  Instead of a feeling of helplessness, she responds with how blessed she is.  

Christ came to challenge the structures of sin, death and oppression.  He came to do what he has always done: to lift up the lowly, free the enslaved and feed the hungry.  Mary was able to  surrender to God’s will  knowing that this was not about her but  something much bigger and transforming.  

I think we all struggle with wanting to control situations in our lives.  I believe that if we surrender to God’s will as Mary did and believe the Good News, our lives will be blessed with all God has to offer us.

Offered by Donna Ciulla, child of God.