12/24/2023 (Sunday) Today’s gospel reading: Luke 1:26-38
26 And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” blessed are you among women.
29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
33 And of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”
35 And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
36 And behold your cousin Elizabeth, she also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who is called barren:
37 Because no word shall be impossible with God.
38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her.
12/24/2023 (Sunday) Today’s gospel reflection / homily / sermon: Luke 1:26-38
Imagine this: you just arrived home from work, a little bit tired so you sat down on a chair when suddenly, a dazzling figure with wings swoops down into your room. “Hey you!” he announces, “Guess what? You’re about to become a superhero!”
That’s kind of what happened to Mary, a regular girl living in Nazareth, except the superhero thing wasn’t exactly in spandex and a cape. Mary’s power was something much deeper, something called grace.
You see, grace isn’t just about being polite or saying our prayers (though those are good things too!). It’s about having a heart open to something bigger than ourselves, something like… well, imagine holding a tiny firefly in your hand. It’s not a big flame, but it glows with a gentle light, warm and alive. That’s grace – a soft, inner sparkle that makes us different, in a good way.
Mary was full of this grace, like a walking power source. So when the angel Gabriel showed up, he didn’t say, “Hey Mary, you’re super strong and you can fly!” Nope, he said, “Rejoice, highly favored one! The Lord is with you!”
Now, that might sound confusing, but think of it like this: Mary was already special, like a diamond waiting to be polished. Grace was the magic dust that turned her into an instrument of God to save the world.
How did Mary use her special privilege of being “full of grace”? Well, she didn’t fight bad guys or leap tall buildings. No, Mary’s weapon was trust. When the angel told her she’d have a baby named Jesus, the Son of God himself, Mary didn’t freak out. She just said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Boom! Super trust activated!
That’s the thing about grace – it gives us the courage to face anything, even if it’s scary or confusing. It’s like having a superhero sidekick named Faith to guide us through the toughest of times.
So, what does all this mean for all of us? Well, we are all children of God and we are filled with His grace whether we know it or not! Maybe our situation isn’t exactly the same as Mary’s, but we have our own unique spark of grace. It might be our kindness, our creativity, our sense of humor, or our ability to make others feel good.
The important thing is to open our heart and let our grace shine. Be a good friend, help those in need, and face challenges with courage. Remember, even the smallest act of kindness can be a superhero move, a ripple of grace that changes the world for the better.
So let us go forth and spread our grace like wildfire, and remember, just like Mary, we too can be a beacon of hope, a testament to the grace that lives within us all.
We are full of grace, just like Mary. May we have a kind heart and an open mind like her. Let us remember, our own grace is a superpower waiting to be unleashed. Let us go out and make the world a brighter place, one act of kindness at a time!
Go here to read further gospel reflection.
