Daily Gospel Reflection for December 20, 2018

Today's Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 Consider this: For nothing will be impossible for God. Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea; they subsisted on manna in the desert during their wanderings, and drank water from a rock struck by Moses’ staff. Elijah and the widow of Zarephath lived for a year on a jar of flour and a jug of oil—and when the widow’s son became ill and stopped breathing, Elijah appealed to God and the boy was revived. Elizabeth in her old age conceived a son; Mary would conceive a son through the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Word Incarnate, fully divine and fully human, would bridge the gap between God and man. He would work miracles, heal us through His suffering, and would rise from the dead. Saul, the greatest persecutor of the fledgling Church, would convert and become one of the greatest evangelizers. Thousands would watch the sun dance at Fatima, and roses would grow out of season on a winter hillside in Mexico. The Church would grow, full of ordinary people like you and me, and extraordinary people like Saint John Paul II and Saint Teresa of Calcutta. All because Mary responded to the angel’s remarkable statement, “For nothing is impossible for God” with “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” We, too, have been chosen for a unique purpose in God’s Kingdom. In faith and joy, let us pray: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word. And may our hearts and eyes be open to the impossible before us at every turn.

Ponder:

What concrete steps can I take to more fully surrender to God’s will for me — and how might that change the impossible circumstance in my life?

Pray:

Holy Spirit, open my heart to God's purpose for my life, and open my eyes to His hand in making the impossible possible.

Copyright 2018 Leslie Lynch Leslie Lynch lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and a rescued feral-turned-sweetheart cat. She’s written three full-length novels: Hijacked, Unholy Bonds, and Opal’s Jubilee; and two novellas: Christmas Hope and Christmas Grace. She is an occasional contributor to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis’s newspaper, The Criterion. Connect with her at www.leslielynch.com and on Facebook at Leslie Lynch Writes. Receive CatholicMom.com newsletters in your inbox, including the Daily Gospel Reflection each morning! * indicates required