PRAISING THE GREATNESS OF GOD - 12/22/22 (Thursday of the Fourth Week of Advent)

Luke 1:46–47

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122222.cfm

Blessed Thursday! In today's gospel reading, we read the "Magnificat." This is the prayer of praise by the Blessed Virgin Mary to God. As we come closer to Christmas, we prepare for the gifts that we are planning to give to other people. We may also think of the gifts we may have received from others. At the same time, it is important for us to recognize that all gifts and blessings come from our God. But, do we always proclaim the goodness of God? Do we praise Him and give thanks to Him? Sometimes, it's easy to give thanks to our Lord when things are going according to our plan. But, what if they don't? In the prayer of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she spoke of God's goodness while also proclaiming that He scattered the proud, casted down the mighty from their thrones and sent the rich away. In our life, when we feel the lack of peace due to our sins, when our ambitions do not take place and when we meet the sufferings in life, we may forget the presence of our Lord. And yet, God is always reminding us that all events, even the unfortunate ones, can lead us back to Him. There are times that we become self-centered that God allows these things to happen for us to realize that only God is the source of authentic happiness. Even in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she experienced numerous sufferings because of her union with the Lord. Despite all of this, she had a complete and pure trust in God as shown by her praise. May we praise God and give thanks to Him for the times that He is revealing to us that He is the strength we need and He alone can grant fulfilment in our hearts, especially during the times we have forgotten Him. 

It is by realizing the greatness of God and our nothingness that we will be more inspired to praise Him. Our Mother Mary praised God as her Savior because God has saved her from the moment of conception until her last moment on earth. Our Lord saved her by granting her the fullness of grace and by preventing her to commit sin and offend God. All of the beauty of the soul of the Blessed Mother comes from the goodness and mercy of God. This is why the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most humble of all God's creatures. If Mary, the holiest of all of God's creation, is humble, then we should persevere in humility considering God's mercy for us, sinners. In the Canticle know Mary, she praised God for raising the lowly. Jesus desires that we may know the truth about God's mercy. Everything good comes from Him, and salvation is possible only because of Him. It is by recognizing that God loves us amidst our sinfulness and brokenness that we can learn more how to truly praise God. When we think we are already exalted, God humbles us by allowing us to experience suffering, but by humbling us, we can persevere in true humility and God, in His mercy, will exalt us to everlasting life in heaven. Let's not just give thanks to God because of the material things we receive. These things are good provided that we use them for God's glory, not for our own satisfaction. Let's also give thanks to Him for His merciful and unconditional love towards us. May we proclaim the greatness of God, not just in our words, but also in our actions consistently and through this, our souls will rejoice in God, our Savior. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth