December 22 in the Octave of Advent 2023

Fr. Rick’s Two Minute Homily December 22 in the Octave of Advent 2023

Luke 1:46-56
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122223.cfm

Proclaim the Greatness of God.

Mary had no power or authority to change the world, but her “yes” changed everything for her and the whole world. Mother Mary teaches us in her song “Magnificat” that God can change everything instantly. And it always starts within. Within her heart, she trusted that the words of the Angel would be fulfilled. She was pregnant because her “yes” gave the Word of the Lord permission to take flesh in her womb.

She was a poor woman and lived under Rome’s occupation. She couldn’t buy her way out of trouble. Nor could she change anyone’s mind about anything.

All she could accomplish came from God’s mercy. This was her joy, and her interior poverty freed her to rely on God alone. She was so unlike the rich, wise, and powerful of the world whose only resource was their wit and scheming ways or weapons of violence.

We don’t have to conform to the world’s ways, trying to fix everything and everybody the way we want them to be. It never works but only makes our relationships worse. There is only one Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus loves when we become poor with His Mother and surrender all with Mary: all we have, our thoughts and emotions, our words and actions, and every affection in our hearts. Let it be done to me as you say.

The bigger the problem, the greater the mercy Jesus has for us. Nothing pleases Him more than “Yes, Lord, let it be done as you say, worked out as you know. We can’t save anyone, even ourselves. We are sorry for ever thinking we could.

Gospel Challenge

Place all your cares in our Mother Mary’s hands and let her take them to her Son to do as he wills. Trusting Jesus pleases him more than anything else. Please, God, in our life’s experiences, he will show his greatness as he did in our dear Mother.

Love Your Neighbor:

Please join me in praying for all baptized Catholics to be faithful to Jesus in the Holy Mass every weekend. Hail Mary, full of grace…

Mother Mary, “I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you, I always want to belong completely to Jesus.” The Surrender Novena – InHeartland. https://inheartland.com/pages/the-surrender-novena

Peace be with you.

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC

www.bscchurch.com

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