Friday December 20th: A Personal Invitation

God looks at our hearts and invites us into a unique relationship with Him.

Luke1:26-38

Gabriel’s words to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favoured one! The Lord is with you,” are special. The world may not have seen Mary, a young girl from an obscure village, as “favoured”, but God did. God saw her humility, her purity, and her openness. Advent is a time to recognise that God sees us differently from how the world sees us. God looks at our hearts and invites us into a unique relationship with Him.

In response, Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Her question is not a sign of doubt but of wonder. She seeks understanding. Advent calls us to seek understanding of the things in our lives and in our world that we do not make sense of.

And Mary’s response to Gabriel — “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let what you have said be done to me” — shows trusting surrender to God. Mary’s “yes” changed history. Advent is a time to echo Mary’s “yes.” Our “yes” to God can bring the change we need.