Gospel for the Day with Pointers

Sunday, 21st December,2014

Advent Wk 4

Lk 1:26-33,38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favour! The Lord is with you.’ 

She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ 

Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her.

• •Mary had placed God at the centre of her heart and life and she lived fully in God’s way.  However, in her humility, she did not expect an angel to announce to her that she had won God’s favour. 
  
  
• •We do not do good because God needs us or because we want to win God’s favour.  We live in God’s ways because we truly want to love and serve Him.  
  
  
• •Are there areas in your where you live with ulterior motives of wanting God to “reward” you?  Pray for the grace to live a more wholesome and single-minded love for God.