80, 146, 147
Isaiah 29:13-24 Revelation 21:22-22:5 Luke 1:39-48a(48b-56)
“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”
Oh, what a wonderful feeling it is to experience joy. To feel the spontaneous burst of energy rising from your stomach as you let out a hearty laugh. Joy. Alegria. 기쁨. Whether in English, Spanish, or Korean, joy feels the same. Joy is God-given. Joy is much needed in this world.
Joy is what we find in today’s scripture reading. Today we witness the joy between two women who had everything lose. Everything to fear, yet they leaned toward hope towards the prophecy of a transformational joy for themselves and the whole world. In the busyness of this time, find your joy. Leaned towards the giggles of children, the smile of a stranger, the warmth of a hug, frolic through the fields, laugh loudly, laugh constantly, for, in the brokenness of the world, we know deep in our heart the joy of the good news. . . Jesus is coming . . . the Messiah will be born onto us. Let us receive him with gladdened hearts and rejoice in his arrival.
God of love, may we leap in joy as we do your work, loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Amen.
Listen to Nancy read her Advent meditation and prayer: