Daily Gospel Reflection for December 8, 2020 - Immaculate Conception

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

We learn in the Gospel reading today that the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Mary with a message, to a town in Galilee called Nazareth. The angel did not demand, seek to scare or even convince her of God’s will but rather he came to seek her own free-will permission to become the mother of God. Because she answered “yes”, she became the God-bearer, the Theotokos. She became the Mother of us all.

As Catholics this feast day is of great importance because it correlates to our own relationships with Mary and motherhood. The Lord invites our own fiat, our “yes”, to life itself. He invites us to welcome children into our lives, to treasure them, and help them know, love and serve the Lord. Mary’s fiat stands as an exemplar to us, and not just as a one-time “yes”. We may need to reprise our “yes” to God many times, especially when we too are scared and feeling helpless or overwhelmed.

The angel Gabriel declares: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” We too have found favor with God. We too are His beloved daughters and our calling to motherhood, whether it is through natural conception, adoption, or spiritual motherhood, is our call to imitate Mary. We have all found favor with God the Father since He chooses to allow us to be His hands and feet in a world that is broken and longing for love. He chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus and invites us to never fear His will and seek instead new graces to embrace it.

Mary states “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word”. Could this become our new response to the difficult tasks asked of us? Do we see ourselves as a personal handmaid of the Lord? Seek to serve Him and love Him even when life seems difficult and the request is large.

As mothers, when we say “yes” to the Lord in our daily lives, we cannot fathom what the Lord can and will do with that yes! The world needs maternal hearts that are warm and open to the will of God! The world needs mothers’ smiles, warmth, tender touch and embracing arms. Mary is our beloved mother, the mother of Jesus and the role model of faith and discipleship we need as we navigate a world broken and often in darkness. Pray that we will imitate well Mary’s choice to be the mother of Jesus, always open to God’s will.

Ponder:

Do we see ourselves as a personal handmaid of the Lord? Do we seek to serve and love Him even when life is difficult?

Pray:

Dear Lord, help me to be more like the Blessed Mother and seek to do Your will each and every day of my life. Amen.

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When we say “yes” to the Lord in our daily lives, we cannot fathom what the Lord can and will do with that yes! #dailygospel

Copyright 2020 Emily Jaminet