My friends are my heartstrings. We live life together and share our innermost thoughts and longings. Experiencing the daily rigor and joys of life, we feel each other’s deepest needs and desires. From this connectedness, we have pure, good, and right desires for each other, for our friends, prayers that the Lord plants in the deepest most delicate part of our being. Our hearts murmur these prayers for them toward Heaven as we walk through our days. Like a sonnet leaving our lips, they are poetry to the Lord. Our heart cries are like music to His ears as they enter Heaven, moving to his heart as they dance through the air. They move delicately, but with such purpose and direction.
Bringing the Lord pleasure, He allows us to experience a spark of His love and care for us as we notice the needs of each friend we love. Often, the desire of our dear friend is so penetrating that it sticks to our hearts and saturates our thoughts and prayers. We wish, hope, and pray that the Lord will grant a request for our friend. We beg again, and again, and again on our friend’s behalf, pelting Heaven, knowing Our Lord hears us and couldn’t deny the very longing He placed on our dear friend’s heart and now ours. “But as for me, I will look to the Lord, I will put my trust in God my savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
And then, one day, Our Heavenly Father answers the prayer in a mysterious unforeseen way. He grants the very longing of your friend’s heart through you. The Lord permits you to give this beautiful gift to your dear friend. You are the bearer of the gift that is so good. What a lovely thing the Lord has done for you as He allowed you to feel your friend’s need so purely, utter pleas to Heaven, and then granted you the ability to say yes, to risk, to trust in the Lord and to deliver the most perfect gift to your friend. He opened your eyes to their longing, through your penetrating love for your dear friend. Through this same love you were able to sacrifice and give the most perfect gift, all through the grace of God.
This is the gift He gives us this Christmas. A Christmas miracle so lovely and good that it makes our hearts sing unending praise, our minds race with excitement, and our legs dance with joy. The gift is good. The gift is perfect. This Christmas gift from the Lord could come in no other form. A perfect, precious infant who came forth from the womb of Mary so pure and lovely. Her yes allowed Jesus to enter the world to free us from sin. God’s own son, Jesus is the gift. Jesus is Lord. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5. Let His light shine in the world for all to see.
Call To Act: What miracle have you been praying for? Where have you been begging the Lord to intervene? Have faith and know Your Father hears you and desires nothing more than to give what you ask. When the time is right the perfect gift will be given, in His time. Be patient and wait for the Lord. He is always near.
“But I believe I shall enjoy the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, take courage; be stouthearted, wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:13-14
St. Elizabeth, pray for us that we have the perseverance, patience, and enduring faith to wait for the Lord, just as you (waited) for the Lord to bless you with your sweet son John, miraculously conceived in your old age. Beg the Lord to hear our prayers and answer the pleas we send toward Heaven. We only desire what is good, true, and lovely for ourselves and for our friends. Ask the Lord to grant us our heart cries and bring us closer to Him as He blesses us by granting our requests. We ask this through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Saint Elizabeth
St. Elizabeth was the beloved wife of Zechariah and the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Not much is known of Elizabeth other than her faithfulness to Our Lord that is portrayed in the Book of Luke. The book of Luke speaks of her, her barrenness, and the divine proclamation when her husband was visited by the great angel Gabriel. After fervent prayer in the temple, the angel assured Zechariah that his prayer had been heard and would be answered. Gabriel informed him that his son would be called John and would be great in the eyes of the Lord. Zechariah’s faith waivered, as he and his wife were advanced in age. However, Elizabeth became pregnant. Mary, her cousin, made the treacherous journey to visit Elizabeth and as they met, John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. Mary visited and tended to Elizabeth. They experienced the miraculous presence of Our Lord in both of their pregnancies. Their wombs were filled with life, the lives of both John the Baptist and the Son of God, Jesus. After their time together ended and Mary returned to Joseph, Elizabeth gave birth to her son. Zechariah named him John, just as the angel had instructed. Their prayers had been answered in abundance. Great was their joy. Learn more about St. Elizabeth here: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=344