December 24 - Magnify the Lord of our salvation!
Contributed by
Rafael Barahona, director of Hispanic education in theology and leadership on Wednesday December 24
Scripture
Mary Visits Elizabeth
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Mary's Song
And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me--
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."
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Devotion
The society and culture of these days has a special blinding power. It deprives of meaning the eternal truths of God, and disguises them as alternatives in the abundant selection of merchandise available in the global market. People have traded with the provision of God to the point of making God's offer of salvation nothing more than another alternative among the many offered. We have been sold a cheap salvation -- a "Christmas sale" -- telling us that happiness is acquirable with the possession of things and stuff. We are more interested in presents than in salvation, because we are happily drowning in this lake of consumerism.
Sadly, we have forgotten that the child of Bethlehem came to bring us salvation from the stuff this world offers us. It seems to me that we are blind to this fact, unable to understand the real meaning of salvation and the coming of Christ into the world.
The good news of salvation is for all humanity. God himself is offering us the way of salvation, an opportunity to know God and to get right with God.
Yes, we need to be saved, saved from eternal perdition, saved from our ignorance of God, saved from providing our own way to salvation, saved from the abundant selection of false alternatives, saved to find salvation, truth and peace.
Let us magnify the Lord of our salvation! We are called to be part of His marvelous work. We are called to be his people, a community who make a difference not only around Christmas time, but always.
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