In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
JOY. .a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, something or someone greatly valued or appreciated, according to sources. Our joy…our children, new home, new job, promotion at work, travel, etc., seems dismal when we consider the news Mary brought!! Mary, a teenager to become the mother of Jesus!! Elizabeth, her kinsman, an older woman expecting a child coming together to rejoice at the news!!!! What a reunion of relatives when Mary came to share this exciting news with Elizabeth!
How Mary must have felt when she was told she was to be the mother of Jesus, so young and not married. Me? Why me? We see that trust was the strong point here. Her belief is God carried her through any questions she MUST have had!
As we begin celebrating the birth of the Christ child, let us direct our thoughts toward others… service to those needing help for their families; food, clothing or a kindness shown in other ways. Our JOY in helping others can be a tool, not just for others but for ourselves.
Let us ‘Go out in Joy’ celebrating with others the news of Jesus’ birth and celebrate not just during this Advent season but every day of our lives so that others can see Jesus in us.
Written by Mary Ann Nicholas, who has served as Elder at HPC, Angel Bells, and Hope Circle
What am I passionate about at Heritage?
“My love of Heritage is for the many people who show love daily not just to members but to the community, going out of their way to make visitors feel welcome.”
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