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| PAVILION CONSTRUCTION December 12, 2021 |
“Hail, full of grace!
The Lord is with you.”
LUKE 1:28
God’s presence, favor, and protection is always upon us. We are highly favored because the Lord is with us, the Mighty Warrior who saves us. He takes great delight in us; in His love He will no longer rebuke us, but will rejoice over us. This phrase is also a reminder of the name Immanuel, which means "God with us." This name was given to Jesus as a sign of God’s incarnation and salvation for humanity (Matthew 1:23). In going through difficulties or challenges in life, be rest assured that God is with you. If God is with you, who can stand against you?
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)
God’s reign and rule was not a physical or geographical reality, but a spiritual and relational one. Jesus was the embodiment of God’s kingdom, and He was among us. He is the Word who became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14). Jesus was the Word of God, the eternal Son of God, who came to live among humanity as one of us. He revealed God’s glory, grace, and truth to us. “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them” (Revelation 21:3). This is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption, when He will make all things new and dwell with His people forever.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion! See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will possess Judah as his portion of the holy land, and he will again choose Jerusalem. Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the Lord! For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:14-17)
Faith is like a deed of hope that guarantees God’s promises, even though we cannot see them yet. "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]" (Hebrews 11:1).
Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth; and blessed be the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth. Your deed of hope will never be forgotten by those who tell of the might of God. (Judith 13:18, 19)
When darkness falls and fear surrounds, when hope seems lost and pain abounds, a deed of hope can light the way, a simple act of love and grace. A smile, a hug, a word of cheer, a helping hand, a listening ear, a prayer, a gift, a sacrifice, a deed of hope can change a life.
Pericope:
II: The Infancy Narrative
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Luke 1:26-38
Oracles 1 to 8
THE NEW JERUSALEM
Zechariah 2:5-17
II: Deliverance of the Jews
THE RETURN OF BETHULIA
Judith 13:10-20
Reflection Source
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