Malala Yousafzai was a child when she changed the world. Growing up in northwest Pakistan under brutal Taliban rule, she was only 12 years old when she began to speak publicly on the rights for girls to be educated in Pakistan… a view that put her life in jeopardy because of the Taliban’s oppression. Amid active threats, Malala continued speaking out on behalf of women and children as she bore the weight of her hope. As she spoke, forces gathered against her until one day, at the age of 15, a man stepped on to her school bus and asked her name. She answered him, and he fired three times at her. One bullet striking her skull...
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The weight of hope by Rev Brent Ross
The weight of hope
Malala Yousafzai was a child when she changed the world. Growing up in northwest Pakistan under brutal Taliban rule, when she was only 12 years old she began to speak out for girls to be educated in Pakistan…a view that quickly put her life in jeopardy because of the Taliban’s oppression. Amid active threats, Malala continued speaking out on behalf of women and children as she bore the weight of her hope. As she spoke, forces gathered against her until one day, at the age of 15, a man stepped on to her school bus and asked her name. She answered him, and he fired three times at her. One bullet striking her skull.
Miraculously, she survived. Over time she recovered and only a year later she was speaking at the United Nations to advocate for education for women and girls like her. And it was only a few months later that she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her advocacy and pursuit of education.
How does one explain such strength of a child? How is it that in such a young girl there can be so great a bold and courageous hope that it changes the world? As I read the story of Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel this week, I wondered these same questions. Mary, herself a child of 13 or 14 years old, is faced with a choice that requires almost impossible courage and faith. “A child will be born to you Mary,” says the angel. “And this child will be the Messiah. But this child is yours to bear…Joseph is not the father and there will be questions and scorn because of this pregnancy.” Mary, a child, must also decided if she can bear the weight of hope.
On the surface, God always appears to choose such fragile bearers of hope. The small, the young, the ignored…even the hated. And while I can’t claim to understand it, this week as I read the story of Mary I was thankful for this mystery of His choice. I was thankful and even more so, in awe of it. Because in a world that seems so lost, a world of industrial for-profit prisons, legal defenses of “might makes right”, broken lives, sorrow-filled holidays and wars too countless to name, we need to know this. God in His choices questions it all. God in who He uses and blesses turns the whole thing upside down. He points to a kingdom that is small and vulnerable like a mustard seed or a child, but one that is fully of His creation. I don’t know what to say to such a God, but perhaps in this season it is simply enough to wonder in awe and hope. Hope too great for any of us to bear alone.
If you would like to read the story of Mary for Sunday, you can find it here. http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=John+1:6-28&vnum=yes&version=nrsv See you soon.
 Rev Brent Ross
Rev Brent Ross grew up loving the Twilight Zone and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. For better or worse both of these things enter into writing his sermons every week.
Scripture Text is John 1:6-28
John 1:6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn’t even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn’t want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.
14 The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
15 John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”
16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God,
not so much as a glimpse.
This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,
who exists at the very heart of the Father,
has made him plain as day.
Thunder in the Desert
19-20 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. He didn’t evade the question. He told the plain truth: “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They pressed him, “Who, then? Elijah?”
“I am not.”
“The Prophet?”
“No.”
22 Exasperated, they said, “Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something—anything!—about yourself.”
23 “I’m thunder in the desert: ‘Make the road straight for God!’ I’m doing what the prophet Isaiah preached.”
24-25 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. Now they had a question of their own: “If you’re neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?”
26-27 John answered, “I only baptize using water. A person you don’t recognize has taken his stand in your midst. He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I’m not even worthy to hold his coat for him.”
28 These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the time.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for John 1:6-28
Verse 6
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
There was a man — The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in the five preceding verses.
Verse 7
[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
The same came for (that is, in order to give) a testimony - The evangelist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John, by noble digressions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptist; partly premises and partly subjoins a farther explication to his short sentences. What St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in respect of the promise going before, St. John usually terms the testimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the relator; to testify of the light - Of Christ.
Verse 9
[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Who lighteth every man — By what is vulgarly termed natural conscience, pointing out at least the general lines of good and evil. And this light, if man did not hinder, would shine more and more to the perfect day.
Verse 10
[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
He was in the world — Even from the creation.
Verse 11
[11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
He came — In the fulness of time, to his own - Country, city, temple: And his own - People, received him not.
Verse 12
[12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
But as many as received him — Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name - That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are sons; and because they are sons, God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Verse 13
[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Who were born — Who became the sons of God, not of blood - Not by descent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh - By natural generation, nor by the will of man - Adopting them, but of God - By his Spirit.
Verse 14
[14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Flesh sometimes signifies corrupt nature; sometimes the body; sometimes, as here, the whole man.
We beheld his glory — We his apostles, particularly Peter, James, and John, Luke 9:32.
Grace and truth — We are all by nature liars and children of wrath, to whom both grace and truth are unknown. But we are made partakers of them, when we are accepted through the Beloved. The whole verse might be paraphrased thus: And in order to raise us to this dignity and happiness, the eternal Word, by a most amazing condescension, was made flesh, united himself to our miserable nature, with all its innocent infirmities. And he did not make us a transient visit, but tabernacled among us on earth, displaying his glory in a more eminent manner, than even of old in the tabernacle of Moses. And we who are now recording these things beheld his glory with so strict an attention, that we can testify, it was in every respect such a glory as became the only begotten of the Father. For it shone forth not only in his transfiguration, and in his continual miracles, but in all his tempers, ministrations, and conduct through the whole series of his life. In all he appeared full of grace and truth: he was himself most benevolent and upright; made those ample discoveries of pardon to sinners, which the Mosaic dispensation could not do: and really exhibited the most substantial blessings, whereas that was but a shadow of good things to come.
Verse 15
[15] John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John cried — With joy and confidence; This is he of whom I said - John had said this before our Lord's baptism, although he then knew him not in person: he knew him first at his baptism, and afterward cried, This is he of whom I said. etc.
He is preferred before me — in his office: for he was before me - in his nature.
Verse 16
[16] And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
And — Here the apostle confirms the Baptist's words: as if he had said, He is indeed preferred before thee: so we have experienced: We all - That believe: have received - All that we enjoy out of his fulness: and in the particular, grace upon grace - One blessing upon another, immeasurable grace and love.
Verse 17
[17] For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The law — Working wrath and containing shadows: was given - No philosopher, poet, or orator, ever chose his words so accurately as St. John. The law, saith he, was given by Moses: grace was by Jesus Christ. Observe the reason for placing each word thus: The law of Moses was not his own. The grace of Christ was. His grace was opposite to the wrath, his truth to the shadowy ceremonies of the law.
Jesus — St. John having once mentioned the incarnation { John 1:14,) no more uses that name, the Word, in all his book.
Verse 18
[18] No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
No man hath seen God — With bodily eyes: yet believers see him with the eye of faith.
Who is in the bosom of the Father — The expression denotes the highest unity, and the most intimate knowledge.
Verse 19
[19] And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
The Jews — Probably the great council sent.
Verse 20
[20] And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
I am not the Christ — For many supposed he was.
Verse 21
[21] And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet And he answered, No.
Art thou Elijah? — He was not that Elijah (the Tishbite) of whom they spoke.
Art thou the prophet — Of whom Moses speaks, Deuteronomy 18:15.
Verse 23
[23] He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
He said — I am that forerunner of Christ of whom Isaiah speaks.
I am the voice — As if he had said, Far from being Christ, or even Elijah, I am nothing but a voice: a sound that so soon as it has expressed the thought of which it is the sign, dies into air, and is known no more. Isaiah 40:3.
Verse 24
[24] And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
They who were sent were of the Pharisees — Who were peculiarly tenacious of old customs, and jealous of any innovation (except those brought in by their own scribes) unless the innovator had unquestionable proofs of Divine authority.
Verse 25
[25] And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
They asked him, Why baptizest thou then? — Without any commission from the sanhedrim? And not only heathens (who were always baptized before they were admitted to circumcision) but Jews also?
Verse 26
[26] John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
John answered, I baptize — To prepare for the Messiah; and indeed to show that Jews, as well as Gentiles, must be proselytes to Christ, and that these as well as those stand in need of being washed from their sins.
Verse 28
[28] These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Where John was baptizing — That is, used to baptize.
Today's Scripture is Luke 1:26-56 & Matthew 1:18-25
Luke 1: A Virgin Conceives
26-28 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to the Galilean village of Nazareth to a virgin engaged to be married to a man descended from David. His name was Joseph, and the virgin’s name, Mary. Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her:
Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty,
Beautiful inside and out!
God be with you.
29-33 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great,
be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—
no end, ever, to his kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I’ve never slept with a man.”
35 The angel answered,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
the power of the Highest hover over you;
Therefore, the child you bring to birth
will be called Holy, Son of God.
36-38 “And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God.”
And Mary said,
Yes, I see it all now:
I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me
just as you say.
Then the angel left her.
Blessed Among Women
39-45 Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly,
You’re so blessed among women,
and the babe in your womb, also blessed!
And why am I so blessed that
the mother of my Lord visits me?
The moment the sound of your
greeting entered my ears,
The babe in my womb
skipped like a lamb for sheer joy.
Blessed woman, who believed what God said,
believed every word would come true!
46-55 And Mary said,
I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.
Matthew 1: The Birth of Jesus
18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).
24-25 Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God’s angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Luke 1:26-56 & Matthew 1:18-25
Luke 1
Verse 26
[26] And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
In the sixth month — After Elisabeth had conceived.
Verse 27
[27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Espoused — It was customary among the Jews, for persons that married to contract before witnesses some time before. And as Christ was to be born of a pure virgin, so the wisdom of God ordered it to be of one espoused, that to prevent reproach he might have a reputed father, according to the flesh.
Verse 28
[28] And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Hail, thou highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women — Hail is the salutation used by our Lord to the women after his resurrection: thou art highly favoured, or hast found favour with God, Luke 1:30, is no more than was said of Noah, Moses, and David. The Lord is with thee, was said to Gideon, Judges 6:12; and blessed shall she be above women, of Jael, Judges 5:24. This salutation gives no room for any pretence of paying adoration to the virgin; as having no appearance of a prayer, or of worship offered to her.
Verse 32
[32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
He shall be called the Son of the Highest — In this respect also: and that in a more eminent sense than any, either man or angel, can be called so.
The Lord shall give him the throne of his father David — That is, the spiritual kingdom, of which David's was a type.
Verse 33
[33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
He shall reign over the house of Jacob — In which all true believers are included.
Verse 35
[35] And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee — The power of God was put forth by the Holy Ghost, as the immediate Divine agent in this work: and so he exerted the power of the Highest as his own power, who together with the Father and the Son is the most high God.
Therefore also — Not only as he is God from eternity, but on this account likewise he shall be called the Son of God.
Verse 36
[36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth — Though Elisabeth was of the house of Aaron, and Mary of the house of David, by the fathers side, they might be related by their mothers. For the law only forbad heiresses marrying into another tribe. And so other persons continually intermarried; particularly the families of David and of Levi.
Verse 38
[38] And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord — It is not improbable, that this time of the virgin's humble faith, consent, and expectation, might be the very time of her conceiving.
Verse 39
[39] And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
A city of Judah — Probably Hebron, which was situated in the hill country of Judea, and belonged to the house of Aaron.
Verse 41
[41] And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
When Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary — The discourse with which she saluted her, giving an account of what the angel had said, the joy of her soul so affected her body, that the very child in her womb was moved in an uncommon manner, as if it leaped for joy.
Verse 45
[45] And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Happy is she that believed — Probably she had in her mind the unbelief of Zacharias.
Verse 46
[46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And Mary said — Under a prophetic impulse, several things, which perhaps she herself did not then fully understand.
Verse 47
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour — She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour that we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery.
Verse 51
[51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath wrought strength with his arm — That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah.
He hath scattered the proud — Visible and invisible.
Verse 52
[52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath put down the mighty — Both angels and men.
Verse 54
[54] He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
He hath helped his servant Israel — By sending the Messiah.
Verse 55
[55] As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
To his seed — His spiritual seed: all true believers.
Verse 56
[56] And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
Mary returned to her own house — And thence soon after to Bethlehem.
Verse 19
[19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
A just man — A strict observer of the law: therefore not thinking it right to keep her.
Verse 21
[21] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Jesus — That is, a Saviour. It is the same name with Joshua (who was a type of him) which properly signifies, The Lord, Salvation.
His people — Israel. And all the Israel of God.
Verse 23
[23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
They shall call his name Emmanuel — To be called, only means, according to the Hebrew manner of speaking, that the person spoken of shall really and effectually be what he is called, and actually fulfil that title. Thus, Unto us a child is born - and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace - That is, he shall be all these, though not so much nominally, as really, and in effect. And thus was he called Emmanuel; which was no common name of Christ, but points out his nature and office; as he is God incarnate, and dwells by his Spirit in the hearts of his people. It is observable, the words in Isaiah are, Thou (namely, his mother) shalt call; but here, They - that is, all his people, shall call - shall acknowledge him to be Emmanuel, God with us.
Which being interpreted — This is a clear proof that St. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Greek, and not in Hebrew. Isaiah 7:14.
Verse 25
[25] And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
He knew her not, till after she had brought forth — It cannot be inferred from hence, that he knew her afterward: no more than it can be inferred from that expression, 2 Samuel 6:23, Michal had no child till the day of her death, that she had children afterward. Nor do the words that follow, the first-born son, alter the case. For there are abundance of places, wherein the term first born is used, though there were no subsequent children. Luke 2:7.
Sermon Story from Luke 1:26-56 & Matthew 1:18-25 "The Woman Above All Women" for Sunday, 21 December 2014
We have heard this story over and over again from the Protestant or Catholic perspective, but let us look and see an young women or should I say a girl about the age of 13 or 14 years of age who was very vulnerable. First, she was vulnerable because she was women and cold not receive any formal education in the synagogue or Temple school. Second, she was vulnerable because her father could sign a marriage contract for her to be married to a man who could be an older man. Now, this is what happened to Mary who was contracted to be married to Joseph, an older man, after a time of engagement was up. During this time, she problably lived in her parent's household while Joseph continued to live his own home preparing for the day that he would bring Mary into his home as his wife. Both of these people, Mary and Joseph, were found to be rigtheous or holy according to God's Way. During this time of waiting to be taken as Joseph's wife, an Angel, Gabriel, came to her and spoke God's Words that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She was frightened because she was a virgin, who had never had sexual relationships with any man, but waiting for the time when Joseph took her into his home as his wife and consummate the marrtiage with sexual relationship. Gabriel simply stated that she is not to be afraid because the child would be God's son conceived by the Holy Spirit and she was to call his name Jesus or Yeshua. Gabriel than went on to say that her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was thought to be barren but was now six months pregnant with son. Mary responded with simple trust that God is to do with her as He desires to do to her and the Angel, Gabriel, left for this time. For whatever reason, Mary decided to join a caravan to the Judean hills to see her cousin, Elizabeth. For whatever reason, there is no mention of Jospeh here as is mention in Matthew while the story of Mary traveling to see her cousin, Elizabeth, is not mentioned in Matthew. As Mary arrived and gave her greetings to Elizabeth, the son in Elizabeth jumped inside of her and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit speaking words as in the Catholic church known as the "Hail Mary:"
Traditional version:
Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Newer version:
Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
For whatever reason, Mary broke out in heer song of praise by the Holy Spirit that we know as the great Magnificant as prophetic to the life and ministry of the baby inside of her.
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
Then, Mary chose to stay for three months with her cousin, elizabeth, until John or Jochanan was born and named by his mother and father. Where do you see yourself in this story? Do you see yourself with great faith or lack of faith? How do you live out this story in your life?
May we sing one or all of these songs:
Be Not Afraid by John Michael Talbot
1.You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.
R.Be not afraid.
I go before you always.
Come follow me, and
I will give you rest.
2.If you pass through raging waters in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amid the burning flames, you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow'r of hell and death is at your side, know that
I am with you through it all.
3. Blessed are your poor, for the kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn, for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of me, blessed, blessed are you!
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The Magnificat by mary by Mike Crawford
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God
For He has regarded my low estate
For He has regarded my low estate
From now on all generations will call me blessed
From now on all generations will call me blessed
For He who is mighty has done great things for me
For He who is mighty has done great things
Has done great things for me
And Holy – Holy is His name
Holy – Holy is His name
Holy – Holy is Your name
Holy – Holy is Your name
He has shown strength with His arm
He has scattered the proud and has put down the mighty
And He has exalted those of low degree
Yes He has exalted those of low degree
And He, He has satisfied the hungry with good things
Yes He, He has satisfied the hungry with good things
And Holy – Holy is His name
Holy – Holy is His name
Holy – Holy is Your name
Holy – Holy is Your name
Holy – Holy is the Lamb
Holy Who was slain
He will come again
Forever He will reign
Making all things new
Making all things…Holy
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Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest
Verse 1
Mother dearest, Mother fairest,
Help of all, who call on thee.
Virgin purest, brightest, rarest,
Help us, help, we cry to thee.
Verse 2
Lady, help in pain and sorrow,
Soothe those rack'd on beds of pain,
May the golden light of morrow,
Bring them health and joy again.
Verse 3
Lady, help the absent loved ones.
How we miss their presence here.
May the hand of Thy protection
Guide and guard them far and near.
Chorus
Mary, help us, help we pray.
Mary, help us, help we pray.
Help us in all care and sorrow.
Mary, help us, help we pray.
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