Link to Love’s Pure Light Devotional here:
https://tinyurl.com/yysjvwjm
Luke 1:46b-55 1 Samuel 1:1-18 He-brews 9:1-14
𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘺, 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭.
–Origen
As we enter into the final days of our Advent journey, we arrive today at one of the most beloved hymns of praise in the whole of Scripture, the Magnificat. Here, with the Psalms and the Song of Hannah on her heart and mind, Mary embodies the hopes and dreams of the whole of Israel: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Lk. 1:46-47). As we, thousands of years later, hear and receive these words, what does it mean for us to do the same? How do we, with Mary, magnify the Lord?
Throughout the ages, Christians have often referred to the reflective quality of the human soul. At our best, we are meant to reflect the life of God in and through the way we live our lives. Another common way to speak of this same idea is through the lens of an icon. Yet at our best, we are not simply images to behold but are windows that open to a vast horizon beyond, or perhaps more helpfully, mirrors that reflect the light of God with each turn.
One of the chief effects of sin upon the soul is it darkens and dirties that mirror, removing our ability to live lives that magnify the Lord. Is Mary an end or destination in and of herself? Of course not. Yet through a life of faithful living, of obedience to God and openness to his call upon her life, does the Lord clean the mirror of her soul and shine brightly through her witness in every generation? Undoubtedly! May we, like her, live lives that magnify and image God in and through our lives, for his glory and the salvation of the world.
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲
Though we all begin our journey of faith weighed down and darkened by sin, as we walk with the Lord, he is faithful to cleanse the mirror of our souls, freeing us to reflect his light. Today, take time to journal and recount the significant ways God has done this work in and through your life over the years.
