Monday after Rorate coeli, the Fourth Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 21, 2020 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 1:39-56 (NKJV)
1:39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
Devotion
On the Festival of St. Thomas, the day with the longest amount of darkness, the Church’s focus is directed to the Light of the World—our Lord Jesus Christ. The Blessed Virgin Mary, after receiving the annunciation that she would be the mother of our Lord, went with haste into the hill country to her relative Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with the Forerunner. Upon hearing her greeting the babe in her womb leaped.
The Lord Jesus had come to His people. The Lord God had taken on our flesh. Even though it was only a few days since the Holy Ghost had overshadowed the Virgin with the power of the highest and conceived our Lord Jesus in her womb, the infant in Elizabeth’s womb recognized the great gift that our Lord has given to mankind. The Light of the World had come into this world filled with the darkness of sin to bring holy light. He has come to remove the darkness of sin from us, so that we may live in His eternal light.
“Doubting Thomas” believed on the Lord Jesus when he saw His hands, feet, and side. Our doubt is also removed when we hear that our Lord Jesus has come down from Heaven to dwell with us poor, miserable sinners. He has come to win forgiveness, life, and salvation for us. He has come to fill us with the light of faith, so that believing on Him we may no longer live in the darkness of sin and death.
Prayer: Almighty and Ever-Living God, who through the Word of Thy Son didst mightily strengthen the faith of Thine Apostle Saint Thomas, by the same Word keep us ever steadfast in the faith unto our end; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
