The Messenger

Scripture                     Luke 1:26-45
Focus Verse                Luke 1:26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth …

The word “angel” simply means messenger. God sent Gabriel to Mary to give her a message.  We find angels in many places in the bible bringing messages to the people of God who will hear them.  Although we often imagine sweet and innocent cherubim … pretty, young and feminine … angels are also depicted as warriors.  They may easily be just people who are sensitive to God.  The message is not always welcome, especially when God is calling us beyond our comfort zone.  We can only imagine how Mary felt when this strange creature came to her.  She had to decide if Gabriel was a messenger from God.  She had to decide to listen to God.

Reflection:  Have you ever felt someone was giving you a message from God?  How did you respond to God?

If music is a spiritual pathway for you, pause for a moment and take this link to YouTube and listen to this arrangement of "Gabriel's Message" by Matt Maher.

Prayer: Breathing “The Jesus Prayer”
Breathing in … Lord Jesus Christ
Breathing out … Have mercy
*pray by breathing this prayer repetitively until the prayer prays you. You’ll know the prayer is praying you when the words come to you at random times in random places.  You will simply feel the words on your lips, in sync with your breathing.  And you have begun the process of praying unceasingly through the power of the Holy Spirit! For more information about praying The Jesus Prayer, an ancient prayer form from the days of early Christian History, practiced by the Desert Mothers and Fathers, take this LINK