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Christmas Mass Times:
Fourth Sunday of Advent December 23 10am Christmas Eve December 24 7pm Christmas Day December 25 10 am |
Saturday December 29 5pm Sunday December 30 10am Tuesday January 1 10am |
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and their ensuing greeting sparked a spontaneous encounter and exchange of a spiritual magnitude recorded in the gospel of Luke (1.39-55). The Bible verse “… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, …” is from ‘Mary’s Song of Praise’, praising God. Mary went to visit Elizabeth immediately following the angel Gabriel’s annunciation that she was to bear a son, the Savior of the world (Lk 1.26-38). At the annunciation Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that the Holy Spirit, the power of the Most High would overshadow her. As a result, at the time of her visit to Elizabeth she was filled with the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, as baby Jesus our Savior was already growing in her. When Elizabeth, who was also with child, heard Mary’s greeting, the infant in her womb leaped for joy filling them both with the same Spirit Mary carried with her. Elizabeth, fueled by the bliss of this presence, exclaimed that Mary is the ‘mother of God’ and by her faith is uniquely blessed (Lk 1.41-45). Baby John’s leaping in the womb of Elizabeth was an indication that they recognized and acknowledged the presence of our Savior, the child Mary carried in her womb. Mary’s unexpected visitation brought the presence of the Holy Spirit to both her cousin and her cousin’s child John. Christmas is that sacred time of year when we are once again reminded of these great saintly women who played a vital role in making human salvation a reality. Mary, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, by her “yes” to the will of God, faithfully became a dwelling place for God. Like Mary, all of us are called to be a dwelling place of God. Mother Mary by way of her example is the best person we can model in preparing to receive the Lord into our lives. Let our sharing and thoughtful visits with each other during this joyful season of Advent and Christmas be a special time of divine overshadowing for all of us so that along with Mary we can acclaim “… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” Merry Christmas! Rev. Thomas Vadassery |
Regular Mass Times:
Tuesday - 6:30 pm Thursday - 9:00 am Friday - 9:00 am Saturday - 5:00 pm Sunday - 10:00 am St. Agnes Parish
302 Veterans Way Carstairs, AB T0M 0N0 403-940-1100 
Prayer Circle
To request prayers or to join the circle, please contact Fran Murphy (403-335-4591) or Fr. Thomas (403-869-4255) |
