Luke 1:45-47
"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
I am sure that I'm not alone when I say that I absolutely love Christmas. In my Mexican-American home, we get together with extended family on Christmas Eve, followed by Christmas Mass During the Night (a.k.a. "Midnight Mass"). The following morning, we enjoy fresh and spicy tamales with coffee while opening presents. It is a most joyful time that I look forward to each year. Today's Gospel invites us to unite our joy with that of Mary, whose very soul rejoiced in the Lord because she trusted in Him.
This week, the Church gives us two beautiful occasions to rejoice with Our Blessed Mother: Mary as the Immaculate Conception and today's Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (to whom my family and I are particularly devoted). The young Virgin Mary believed the word of the Lord, given by the Angel Gabriel, which is the singular cause for her deep joy in the Lord. In a similar way, Saint Juan Diego believed the words Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke to him at Tepeyac, Mexico in 1531, which led to the cause for joy in the Lord across all of the Spanish-speaking Americas. Today, let's ask Mary to share in her joy, trusting in her intercession, as we continue on our Advent journey to the manger.
Get to know our seminarians! Today's reflection was written by:
Christian Galvan, Theology II
Home parish: St. Stephen
Did you know...
I love belting out Christmas carols. Some of my favorites are "O Come All Ye Faithful", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "The First Noel", "What Child is This", and Andy Williams' rendition of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."
Pray with us for the men and women discerning the priesthood and religious life. To pray for our seminarians by name or to find out more about the Diocese of St. Petersburg vocations office, click here.
