Mary, Episode 27 (12/24/2021)
Episode 27: Blessed Mother Mary
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ...And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke Chapter 1: verses 26 – 38.
I said YES…… Wait! Gabriel! Don’t leave! …..And, just like that, I was to become the mother of God’s only begotten son, Jesus.
I know nothing about being a mother! I am still a child myself. But God sees something in me. He trusts me. So I must trust in him. God doesn’t give us anything that isn’t within our capacity. I could have said no. I could have asked for details…or made conditions. But that’s not how love and trust works, so I said YES. If God believes in me, then I am ALL IN!
God wants to get inside your heart. Your bold YES to him will allow you to do great things in his name. Don’t hesitate. Just say “YES, Lord!” God’s plan for you is even greater than anything you can imagine. You just have to say, “YES!”
This Advent, pray for Mary’s intercession that you will love God, your family, your friends, and everyone you meet. Pray that, like Mary, you will put all your trust in God. Love without limits. Love without conditions. Love without restrictions. We will never be perfect, but that’s okay. God loves us and is always willing to forgive. Once you love others with a pure heart, you will start to understand the depths of God’s love for you.
God our Father, we thank you for choosing Mary to be the Mother of our Lord, and our mother too! We are amazed at her “yes” to you. We know how much we sometimes struggle to say yes to your plan. So, we are thankful that she gave you a generous yes without any conditions. Please help us to do the same this Christmas and to welcome Jesus, your Son, into our hearts. Amen!
Prayer Starter for Parents
Even the youngest of our kids have the capacity and power to say "Yes" to God. At first, it's a small yes, maybe not very different from the yes they give when you offer them a snack or ask them if they want to do something. But as they get older, their power to choose grows and so does their "Yes" to God. On this final day of Advent, with Christmas Eve just hours away, pray with your kids today in a way that teaches them and encourages them to give their "Yes" to God just like Mary did.
Here's a simple way to pray with them today:
Start by praying through the Scripture we used for today's podcast (above):
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ...And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke Chapter 1: verses 26 – 38.
Then, with your children, offer a decade of the Rosary, meditating on the mystery of the Annunciation: pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory be. (If you've never really prayed the Rosary or want to learn more about it, here's a great link.) As you pray, let your heart and mind keep the image of Mary and the Angel Gabriel before you... Think and pray about Mary's "yes" to God. As you pray, ask Mary to intercede and pray for you and your kids, that each of you might offer your own "Yes" to God. Let each one of the prayers be your way of giving your own new "Yes" to God.
When you say "Yes" to God, it gives him more room to work in your heart. The Holy Spirit really comes to you in a new way! What does God want to do in you as you open your heart to him? How will he work through you today because of your "Yes"? What good fruit will he bear this Christmas because of your new "Yes" to him?! Every time we say "Yes" to God he is able to do more in us and through us. Just like Mary, he wants us to bring Jesus into the world. How will he do that through you this Christmas because of your "yes" to him? This is exciting and amazing stuff!
Episode 27: Blessed Mother Mary
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ...And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke Chapter 1: verses 26 – 38.
I said YES…… Wait! Gabriel! Don’t leave! …..And, just like that, I was to become the mother of God’s only begotten son, Jesus.
I know nothing about being a mother! I am still a child myself. But God sees something in me. He trusts me. So I must trust in him. God doesn’t give us anything that isn’t within our capacity. I could have said no. I could have asked for details…or made conditions. But that’s not how love and trust works, so I said YES. If God believes in me, then I am ALL IN!
God wants to get inside your heart. Your bold YES to him will allow you to do great things in his name. Don’t hesitate. Just say “YES, Lord!” God’s plan for you is even greater than anything you can imagine. You just have to say, “YES!”
This Advent, pray for Mary’s intercession that you will love God, your family, your friends, and everyone you meet. Pray that, like Mary, you will put all your trust in God. Love without limits. Love without conditions. Love without restrictions. We will never be perfect, but that’s okay. God loves us and is always willing to forgive. Once you love others with a pure heart, you will start to understand the depths of God’s love for you.
God our Father, we thank you for choosing Mary to be the Mother of our Lord, and our mother too! We are amazed at her “yes” to you. We know how much we sometimes struggle to say yes to your plan. So, we are thankful that she gave you a generous yes without any conditions. Please help us to do the same this Christmas and to welcome Jesus, your Son, into our hearts. Amen!
Prayer Starter for Parents
Even the youngest of our kids have the capacity and power to say "Yes" to God. At first, it's a small yes, maybe not very different from the yes they give when you offer them a snack or ask them if they want to do something. But as they get older, their power to choose grows and so does their "Yes" to God. On this final day of Advent, with Christmas Eve just hours away, pray with your kids today in a way that teaches them and encourages them to give their "Yes" to God just like Mary did.
Here's a simple way to pray with them today:
Start by praying through the Scripture we used for today's podcast (above):
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ...And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke Chapter 1: verses 26 – 38.
Then, with your children, offer a decade of the Rosary, meditating on the mystery of the Annunciation: pray one Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and one Glory be. (If you've never really prayed the Rosary or want to learn more about it, here's a great link.) As you pray, let your heart and mind keep the image of Mary and the Angel Gabriel before you... Think and pray about Mary's "yes" to God. As you pray, ask Mary to intercede and pray for you and your kids, that each of you might offer your own "Yes" to God. Let each one of the prayers be your way of giving your own new "Yes" to God.
When you say "Yes" to God, it gives him more room to work in your heart. The Holy Spirit really comes to you in a new way! What does God want to do in you as you open your heart to him? How will he work through you today because of your "Yes"? What good fruit will he bear this Christmas because of your new "Yes" to him?! Every time we say "Yes" to God he is able to do more in us and through us. Just like Mary, he wants us to bring Jesus into the world. How will he do that through you this Christmas because of your "yes" to him? This is exciting and amazing stuff!
Welcome to the St. John the Evangelist’s Advent Podcast. Today is Episode 27, and I am Mary!
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. He came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ...And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke Chapter 1: verses 26 – 38.
I said YES…… Wait! Gabriel! Don’t leave! …..And, just like that, I was to become the mother of God’s only begotten son, Jesus.
I know nothing about being a mother! I am still a child myself. But God sees something in me. He trusts me. So I must trust in him. God doesn’t give us anything that isn’t within our capacity. I could have said no. I could have asked for details…or made conditions. But that’s not how love and trust works, so I said YES. If God believes in me, then I am ALL IN!
God wants to get inside your heart. Your bold YES to him will allow you to do great things in his name. Don’t hesitate. Just say “YES, Lord!” God’s plan for you is even greater than anything you can imagine. You just have to say, “YES!”
This Advent, pray for Mary’s intercession that you will love God, your family, your friends, and everyone you meet. Pray that, like Mary, you will put all your trust in God. Love without limits. Love without conditions. Love without restrictions. We will never be perfect, but that’s okay. God loves us and is always willing to forgive. Once you love others with a pure heart, you will start to understand the depths of God’s love for you.
God our Father, we thank you for choosing Mary to be the mother of our Lord, and our mother too! We are amazed at her “yes” to you. We know how much we sometimes struggle to say yes to your plan. So, we are thankful that she gave you a generous yes without any conditions. Please help us to do the same this Christmas and to welcome Jesus, your Son, into our hearts. Amen!
Thank you for listening to our podcast! Tune in tomorrow for our final episode, Episode 28, when we will hear from my son, Savior of the World, Jesus.
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