GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
DATE: 21ST DECEMBER 2016
WEDNESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
FIRST READING: Song of Songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3;14-18a
PSALM: Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
GOSPEL: Luke 1:39-35
THEME: A LEAP OF JOY
Just look around and you would find enough reasons to be sad as the year comes to an end. However, you can equally look within you and find a reason to be joyful. We can choose to focus on the ills and misfortunes around us and wail or simply accept God’s gift of love offered to us in the person of Jesus and glitter with joy.
Elizabeth’s baby made a joyful movement in the womb when Mary, the “mother of the Lord” entered their home and offered her greetings. Elizabeth’s baby had not set eyes on Mary’s baby and yet he was filled with joyful expectation. Elizabeth said to Mary, “…Behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord” (Luke 1:44-45).
The attitude of Elizabeth’s baby should evoke a similar response in us during these few days leading up to Christmas. We have not set eyes on the saviour and yet our hope of salvation fills us with joy. These are days of joyful expectation.
To have Christ in your home is to have unlimited joy available to you. Plug in to Christ and a stream of joy would flow through your spirit. You may seriously consider finding some time before Christmas to have a personal spiritual recollection, a time of surrendering all your pains and mishaps to the Lord and in exchange receive joy from him.
Joy to the world, for the Saviour has chosen to enter our homes through the womb of Mary!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, knowing you is the secret of my joy. You give me a reason to smile each day. Thank you for coming into my world. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).