Emmanuel

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we are invited to reflect on how we give birth to the Word of God in our own life. As Mary went through a gestation period in which Jesus took shape and grew within her, so in our own life the Word of God’s life-giving Spirit grows, takes shape, and seeks expression.

Mary’s yes to God opened her to divine possibilities she could not have been aware of, and thereby she becomes the model of all who open their hearts in faith and hope to the indwelling of the Spirit and to God’s promise of new life. To say yes to God is to surrender one’s present and one’s future to the Christ event taking place within us.

This is not an easy thing to do. It can be a difficult birth. It means accepting that we do not have the control over our life that we think we have. It means acknowledging that we are here on earth not to advance in the sight of others, but in the sight of God, and to grow in our unity with all creation.

May the Lord find in all of us a welcome place to take shape, to grow, and to find expression in a needy world. Merry Christmas!

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.” (Luke 1:46-48)