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| VILLA ALESSA December 22, 2022 |
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior."
LUKE 1:46-47
God is great in many ways, such as His power, His majesty, His glory, His wisdom, His love, His grace, and His holiness. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom (Ps 145:3). May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Eph 3:18-19).
The greatness of God should impact our lives in many ways. It should inspire us to worship Him, to trust Him, to obey Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. It should also humble us, to realize how small and dependent we are compared to Him, and how much we need His grace and mercy. It should also fill us with joy and hope, to know that He is with us, for us, and in us, and that He has a good plan for our lives.
Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to help of his servant Israel for he remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56)
Be dedicated to the Lord. Surrender your life to Him and seek His glory in everything you do. Devote yourself to Him and His will, love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and serve Him with all your abilities. In doing so, you will experience His presence, peace, and joy in your life. You will grow in your knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of Him and His ways. You will receive His guidance, protection, and provision for your needs. You will have a clear purpose, direction, and vision for your life.
In those days, Hannah brought Samuel with her, along with a three- year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh. After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” She left Samuel there. (1 Samuel 1:24-28)
Exult in the Lord. Express great joy and delight in Him and His works. Praise and worship the Lord for who He is and what He has done. Celebrate His goodness, faithfulness, and love in your life. God is our salvation. He has saved us from our sins and given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. He has also delivered us from our enemies and troubles, and given us victory over them. (Habakkuk 3:181, Isaiah 61:102) God is our strength. He gives us power, courage, and endurance to face any situation. He enables us to do all things through Him who strengthens us. He is our refuge and fortress, our help and hope. (Psalm 28:73, Philippians 4:134) God is our joy. He fills our hearts with gladness and peace. He makes us happy and satisfied in His presence. He turns our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into laughter. He is the source and object of our joy. (Psalm 16:115, Psalm 126:2) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight (Prv 3:5-6).
“My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.” “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.” “The Lord puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he humbles, he also exalts.” “He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.” (1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8)
Who can measure the greatness of God, the Maker of heaven and earth? Who can fathom His infinite power, the Source of all life and worth?
He spoke and the worlds came into being, He breathed and the stars shone bright. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, He separated the day from the night. He formed the mountains and the oceans, He filled the earth with His grace. He made the creatures of the land and sea, He fashioned the human race. He revealed His love and His mercy, He sent His Son to redeem. He gave us His Spirit and His Word, He invited us to His dream.
He is holy, righteous, and faithful, He is gracious, loving, and kind. He is sovereign, majestic, and glorious, He is beyond our reason and mind. He deserves our praise and our worship, He deserves our honor and our awe. He deserves our trust and our obedience, He deserves our love and our all. This is the greatness of God, the Maker of heaven and earth. This is the fathomless power of God, the Source of all life and worth.
Lord, You are truly great and awesome. Let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You (Ps 5:11). May the righteous be glad and rejoice before You O God; may they be happy and joyful (Ps 68:3). For You make me glad by Your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what Your hands have done (Ps 92:4). Amen.
Pericope:
II: The Infancy Narrative
THE CANTICLE OF MARY
Luke 1:46-56
I: History of the Last Judges, Eli and Samuel
SAMUEL IS OFFERED TO GOD
1 Samuel 1:24-28
I: History of the Last Judges, Eli and Samuel
SAMUEL IS OFFERED TO GOD
1 Samuel 2:1-11
Reflection Source:
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