Monday,
December 22, 2014
4TH Week of Advent
1st Reading: 1 S 1:24–28Gospel: Lk 1:46–56
And Mary said:“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior!He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed.The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name!From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence.He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty…”Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
The Magnificat is an outpouring of Mary’s joy. This joy was even greater than the joy with which John the Baptist leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. In her great rejoicing Mary did not only sing but also went in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth.
True joy drives one to serve others; fake joy moves one to serve himself. Recall how happy you were when your loan application was approved. You even threw a party, giving away a big chunk of the loaned amount to the caterer. If happiness makes us outgoing, joy moves us to do a good turn to our fellows. The purer the joy, the more we feel the compulsion to serve others. It is this joy that sustains communion and revolutionizes the community both at the personal, social and economic level.
Once there was a fabulously wealthy king who lived in a fabulously beautiful palace. But in spite of his wealth, the king had a desire for God. He read books, consulted wise men, prayed in his gold-covered palace chapel, but to no avail. He did not find God.
One night, while lying in his soft, satin bed, the king was pondering why he was having so much trouble finding God. Suddenly he heard a terrible racket on the roof of the palace. It was a hermit looking for his goat.
“How can you be so stupid as to think you’ll find your goat on the roof of my palace?” asked the king. The hermit replied, “And how can you be so stupid as to think that you’ll find God while dressed in silk pajamas and lying on a bed of solid gold?”
While we said that joy moves us to serve others, service of others perfects our joy. When the king abandoned his regal lifestyle and lived a life of service he found perfect joy in the Lord. This joy can be yours this Christmas when you learn to serve. When you serve others, the Blessed Virgin Mary is there to sing with you her Magnificat. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M. Email:[email protected]. Website:www.frdan.org.
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