I feel we often take our birth for granted because we think it is just a normal part of life. It is how we procreate and it is just a phase, cycle of life and perhaps just simply a process of our humanity.
How many of us dwell upon it and see that both our birth and those of our children are miracles from God our Heavenly Father? And that through our baptism we have consecrated unto Him, we became His Children through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the author of our life!
Have we grown then in our relationship with our Father such that we know His heart. We know His soft spot for His children especially those who are poor, outcasts, greatly in need of His mercy and love. Do we then seek them out for love of Him to minister to them through the gifts and talents He has given us?
Father I am Your child, let my very being be a testimony of Your Love, through Christ my Lord. Amen
(My reflection four years ago -> https://catholicjules.net/2018/12/22/on-todays-gospel-1869/ )
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First reading
1 Samuel 1:24-28 ·
This is the child I prayed for: he is made over to the Lord.
When Hannah had weaned the infant Samuel, she took him up with her together with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the temple of the Lord at Shiloh; and the child was with them. They slaughtered the bull and the child’s mother came to Eli. She said, ‘If you please, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord granted me what I asked him. Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.’
There she left him, for the Lord.
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Gospel
Luke 1:46-56
The Almighty has done great things for me
Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
CatholicJules.net 