Thursday, December 21, 2017

Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead


Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. By transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God Himself, with Jesus our Lord. – Mother Teresa: (1910 – 1997: Founded the Missionaries of Charity)

Gospel Text: (LK 1:39-45)
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."


Today’s Gospel tells us of an expectant Mary’s journey to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, also expecting a child of her own.  This seems quite the joyful meeting between these two, this joy reaching even the child Elizabeth is carrying in her womb.  And yet, Elizabeth and Mary have endured and are enduring a difficult task; namely, that of waiting.  Expecting. 

The Christian life is one of waiting.  In fact, among all that faith requires waiting is, perhaps, comparatively underrated in its difficulty.  And it truly can be difficult.  But while waiting may be part of the Christian life, it is not done passively.  For the Christian, waiting is accompanied by preparation and this preparation is done based upon a promise, God’s promise of His Son.

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