Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent

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“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” - Luke 1:39-45

In today’s readings, there is a strong emphasis on the themes of rejoicing and hope that pervade throughout the powerful scripture and the Gospel. In the First Reading, the reader is met with an elated sentence, “Hark! My lover - here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping over the hills.” The narration stems from a woman, who boasts about her lover throughout the song, which reveals to many that the Song describes a love marked by mutuality and purity, celebrating human love. Moving forward, today’s Gospel conveys that Mary has learned from an angel that she will give birth to the Son of God, who will aid in the transformation of the world. The beauty of this scripture is Luke’s intentionality behind making the unborn child’s presence apparent, by pointing out the baby's leaping, which I strongly believe was prompted by the Spirit. 

I chose to highlight the quote listed above because of the weight and truth it carries. It simply states that all those who trust in the word of the Lord will be equally blessed. Mary was blessed because she trusted God, had faith in his word, and was blessed with a baby that brought eternal greatness to this world! In these testing times that we are currently enduring, it is my only hope that many readers have found this message to be relatable and take it upon themselves to follow through with what the Word utters.

Amanda Alexandre, SFC '22