Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom,
come to liberate from prison
the captive who lives in darkness.
ISAIAH 7:10-14
My Soul's Beloved,
We either look eagerly for signs of Your ever-present presence with us and in us, or we reject them because we wish to live unholy lives compromised by our concupiscence. You, O Lord, who are God and the Son of God, are immanent not just in our world but in all who are baptized and grafted to Your Body. Too many of us can, with an air of false humility, say like Ahaz, 'No, I will not put the Lord to the test.' Because we are afraid that when we do, we cannot deny that God is with us, and we have to order our lives according to Your holy will.
But the prophet Isaiah would have none of it. He told him bluntly that, despite his false self-deprecation, God would fulfill His promise to His people. You, my Lord and my God, Beloved of my Soul, are the fulfillment of every prophecy, every promise, every Covenant God has made with us since the foundations of the world and the creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve.
Thank You, Lord, for Mary, Your Mama and ours, and for her 'fiat' that undid the knot of Eve's disobedience. You chose to come to her first and through her to us. Grant us this grace, Lord, to give her all the love and reverence that we owe her for her unflinching and uncompromising embrace of all that that 'Yes' entailed and the avalanche of God's grace and mercy that redeemed the world.
Then Isaiah said:
‘Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us.”’
PSALM 23(24):1-6
Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory.
LUKE 1:26-38
My Soul's Beloved,
The day is drawing near, and soon the whole world will erupt in joyful celebration on Christmas day. While it is true that filthy commerce has tarnished for many all over the world the true meaning of this Season of Love and Grace, yet the Church and many Christians will exult at God's infinite goodness in stooping in humility, to be born in poverty, and although being God, clothing Yourself in our flesh to redeem us. One like us, through disobedience, cost us Paradise. One who became like us through perfect obedience, regained it for us. Thank You, Lord. Thank you, Mama Mary. Thank you, St. Joseph.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, may I, like Mama Mar,y say to You always and everywhere, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.’
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
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