Scripture Scribbles: December 19, 2021
the Gospel
Lk 1:39-45
Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
the devotion
It is all true.
I leapt off the couch when my husband came home. “Come watch this,” I said. “Am I crazy, or is it true?” Our daughter was asleep for the night and I was watching The Search (episode 5, Who is Jesus) while my husband was at the gym. I was reeling with the incredible, accelerating revelation that Jesus was actually born, lived, died and rose from the dead. That it wasn’t a myth or just true in some metaphorical way. That night, all of the pieces were falling into place. The lectures and debates I had devoured from Bishop Barron and others, conversion stories from the To Grow Good podcast, deep diving into the old testament, conversations, article after article investigating the veracity of the claims of Christians and Jesus’ gentle persistent grace working in my heart. It is all true. God came into our brokenness in history to redeem the world (me!) and he is with us now. This, friends, is good news. It is the very best news. It ignites the most beautiful light over my past, present and future and electrifies my heart with excitement, hope and joy.
That night and now, my heart cries out with Elizabeth, how does this happen to me?
How does it happen that the Creator of All should come to us in flesh and fulfill every promise he speaks? My heart dances with St. John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb. Thank you, Lord of Hosts, for the Incarnation. Thank you for speaking through the prophets. Thank you for being the great Promise Keeper. Thank you for being Lover and King. Thank you for calling my name.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. Pray that we live every moment caught up in and consumed by the great unfolding of God’s goodness. Pray that we would know Him and trust His promises and say yes to Him just like you, even when suffering and death come before resurrection.
Today’s devotion was written by Lucia Parker.
