Spending Advent with Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Saturday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Mary’s Rock
Reflection
Everyone needs friends, and for Mary, her friend and cousin Elizabeth was her Rock. These two cousins, Elizabeth and Mary, both pregnant at the same time, would have spent part of their time engaged in simple “girl talk.” For both of them, the pregnancy was filled with the mysterious power of God. Indeed, Gabriel had visited each of them and promised joy and gladness, along with a hard mission in life. Mary needed Elizabeth as her Rock, and Elizabeth also needed Mary.
We all need friends like this. Advent is a time for us to take stock of those around us and offer others our friendship and presence. The ones who need you may not be pregnant, but they
may need a Rock nonetheless, to share their illness, or their good fortune, or simply to share a communal meal. Both Mary and Elizabeth would have been familiar with the words of Psalm 71, and these words were lived by them as they befriended each other, “Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety.”
Share with others or ponder alone
Who is your rock? Who anchors and supports you?
Take action
Call someone today who you know needs to hear an encouraging
word or to have an experience of friendship. Open your heart to them.
Prayer for today
O God, thank you for providing us with the community of the Church, through which we find companions for our journey, to be our rocks of refuge. Amen.
Used with permission
Author: Bill Huebsch
