December 20, 2015
Gospel: Lk 1:39-45
Mary set out 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,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (1). 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 (2).”
(http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122015.cfm)
The difficult words
(1) The fruit of your womb is an old way of speaking about
a baby that is still growing inside of its mother’s womb.
(2) By the Lord would be fulfilled means that God keeps his
promises.
This week’s spotlight
Amen
Amen is a Hebrew word that means "It is
true." So when you say “Amen” at the end of a prayer it’s as if you are
saying, "All that I have just said, Lord, is true and I deeply believe it
with all my heart.” When you say “Amen" during the Mass, you are also
saying that what the priest has just said is true and that you believe in it.
So be sure to listen carefully to what he says!
The Hail Mary
This very old prayer is made up of the words of the
angel Gabriel and of Elizabeth. We are asking Mary to take our prayer into her
hands to present it to Jesus. Here are the words: "Hail, Mary, full of
grace! The 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.” On a rosary bracelet, the Hail Mary is
recited ten times - one Hail Mary for each of the ten beads. When praying with
a full rosary, the Hail Mary is said fifty times. Mary sends gifts - graces -
in the name of Jesus to all who pray to her.
Reflection
A mother for eternity
In a few days we will celebrate one of the most important mysteries of
our faith: that God became a baby! The Gospel this week tells us about two
women who were waiting for the first Christmas.
Mary, Jesus’ mother, pays a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of
John the Baptist. As Mary approaches, John shows his great joy by suddenly
leaping inside his mother’s womb. With the help of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth
understands that it is the Lord who has come to visit. The two mothers are
filled with joy as they think about how God has kept his promise. Mary, for her
part, is already living God’s commandment of love. She has come to help
Elizabeth for nearly three months. She doesn’t think of herself, but she thinks
of Elizabeth in her need.
This is the spirit of Christmas. This is the Holy Spirit in our hearts!
Discussion questions
1. What does “Amen” mean?
2. Who did Mary visit?
3. Who is Elizabeth?
4. What is the name of Elizabeth’s son?
5. What happened inside her when Mary greeted her?
6. What did she call Mary?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. As we
celebrate the birth of Jesus, fill my heart with the true meaning of Christmas.
May this communion in the body and blood of your Son help me to bring joy and
peace to all of my family and friends.
Crossword Puzzle
http://usccb.org/bible/readings-audio.cfm