God Has a Plan

 

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” –Luke 1:47-48

(This verse is taken from Luke 1:39-56, which was read at Mass on Tuesday this week for the Church’s celebration of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.)

Listen to the awe and excitement in those words, spoken by Mary to Elizabeth. Mary, young and unmarried, had just consented to become the Mother of God (see Luke 1:26-38). Elizabeth, past child-bearing age, and childless at a time when that was thought to be punishment by God, was pregnant with John the Baptist. These humble, devout women were marveling that God had chosen them and were blessing them beyond anything they could have imagined or prayed for.

Mary didn’t know exactly what was in store for her; she knew only what the angel Gabriel had told her. She didn’t know the magnitude of what God’s plan was for her and, through her, for all of humanity. And because God gives us free will, He gave her the chance to say ‘no.’ But Mary trusted God, and trusted that He would use her for His good purposes. Her fiat allowed His plan of salvation to unfold; because of her fiat, we’ve been promised eternal life.

In her younger years, Elizabeth may have wondered if God heard her prayers for a child. She discovered that God’s plan was to use her late-in-life pregnancy as part of a greater miracle.

We, too, can trust God and His plan for us, even though we don’t understand fully what that plan involves, and even when our prayers seem to go unheard. If we use the free will He’s given us to look for Him and say ‘yes’ to the promptings of His Spirit, we will allow Him to bless us as well as the people around us. When we say ‘yes’ to God, we say ‘yes’ to His promise of eternal life.

God has a plan for us, and He hears our prayers. He offers us eternal life with Him. That’s why we have hope. That’s why we, with Mary, are able to proclaim the greatness of the Lord and rejoice in God, our Savior.

“Lord, my soul rejoices because of Your immense goodness to us. Help me say ‘yes’ to You and Your plan.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 p.s.

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Reach Out With Joy

When Jesus began His public ministry, He “went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mark 1: 14-15)

Read that again and listen to the joy and excitement in Jesus’ voice. He had been living a quiet life and now it was time to begin teaching the good news about God’s love! He traveled from one town to another, seeking out apostles to work with Him and making Himself available to heal the sick, cast out demons, and offer hope to all (see Mark 1:14-39). He gave us an example of looking for opportunities to serve others with love.

The Bible tells of many holy people who reached out in joyful, selfless service to share God’s love.

For example, Mary had just given consent to become the Mother of God. The angel Gabriel told her that her relative, Elizabeth, was also expecting a baby. What did Mary do? Did she flaunt her new state of grace, sit around the house, and expect her family to wait on her? No; she was so moved by love and humble joy for Elizabeth and how God was making Himself present to both of them that she ‘journeyed in haste’ to visit Elizabeth and to serve her for three months (see Luke 1:39-40, 56).

Even God the Father reached out to us when He sent His Son to save us from the power of sin and death. He still serves us today to draw us closer to Himself:  His wonders of creation fill us with awe; others’ acts of kindness restore our belief in the goodness of people; graced moments bring us peace; and healings – physical, emotional, and spiritual – strengthen our faith in God and His presence in our world.  

So, let’s remember that when we serve others with joyful love -- when we look for opportunities to reach out and show someone kindness or compassion -- we imitate Christ and all the other holy ones.

“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do.” --Ephesians 6:7-8

“Lord, soften my heart to reach out and serve others with joy.”

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