Our Great Journey
The theme is “JOY” based on Luke 1:39-45, / Lucas 1:39-45
Opening Prayer
Lord, Jesus Christ, we await your Second Coming as we prepare for your First Coming at Christmas. Be near to us as we light the fourth candle of our Advent wreath. As this light grows brighter, we are reminded that you are with us in Word, in Sacrament, in your Church, in the faces of those in need and our love for each other. Amen.
In addition to our prayers from the heart, our prayer for December is The Apostle’s Creed. Please pray this prayer daily to learn it. (At Mass, we pray the Nicene Creed which was written after the Apostle’s Creed. We typically pray the Apostle’s Creed at the beginning of the rosary. Click to learn more about the differences between the Apostle’s & Nicene Creeds.)
Using the Bible, invite a family member to read the Gospel aloud.
Things to talk about:
- Who was the child in her womb? What role does Elizabeth’s child play in the Christmas story?
- When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Share a time when you were filled with the Holy Spirit.
- Elizabeth greets Mary with a blessing. What words would you use to greet Mary if she visited your home?
Things to do:
- Discuss the changes you see in the décor at Church this week. How many candles were lit in the Advent wreath? Notice the manger in the Advent forest in the foyer, who appeared this week? Do you see the Kings yet?
- This Gospel is filled with joy! Which part of Mass was most joyful to you today?
- Make Your Own Ornaments: Create your own salt dough ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree or to give as gifts. You need only three ingredients: flour, salt, and water. Mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup table salt, and 1 cup of warm water to make a dough. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and then use cookie cutters to cut whatever shape you choose. Put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and create a small hole somewhere on the ornament for a ribbon or ornament hook so you can hang it on the tree. Bake at 250 F for about 2 hours or until the ornaments are dry. Once cool, you can paint them if you wish. Consider lightly spraying them with a coat of polyurethane spray for the ornament to last for years to come.
Closing Prayer
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
We hear Elizabeth say to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Join in this prayer with a family Rosary.
Recite a rosary together as a family, meditating on the Joyful Mysteries. Offer each decade (set of 10 Hail Marys) for something for which you are grateful. To find the prayers of the rosary and the joyful mysteries, please visit http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm
Catholic Insights
This Gospel turns our attention from the ministry of John the Baptist to the events that preceded John the Baptist’s birth. The story of John the Baptist and his parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, are reported only in Luke’s Gospel. Luke pairs the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus, establishing John’s early connection to the Messiah.
Elizabeth greets Mary with full recognition of the roles that they and their unborn children will play in God’s plan for salvation. The Scripture verses that follow are Mary’s response to Elizabeth in the Magnificat Prayer.
In Luke’s Gospel the Holy Spirit helps reveal Jesus’ identity as God to those who believe. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and sings Mary’s praise because she bears the Lord. Even John the Baptist, the unborn child in Elizabeth’s womb, is said to recognize the presence of the Lord and leaps for joy.
Mary’s openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to everyone. Mary is a model of faith and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God’s plan for salvation.
Did you know… Mary traveled around 81 miles from Nazareth to the Judean countryside where Elizabeth lived. She stayed there for three months.
Resources adapted from 52Sundays.com, Celebrating the Lectionary, At Home with the Word, Celebrating Families, Sunday Connection
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