Scripture ~ “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” Luke 1:41-44
Spiritual Focus ~ “You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
Breath Prayer ~ Joy in your presence
Devotion ~ The story of Mary and Elizabeth invites us to pause and notice the ways the body is involved in the narrative of Jesus’ birth. Sometimes in our haste to rejoice at the babe in the manger on Christmas Day, we miss the embodied joy that precedes the “homecoming” birth. Elizabeth feels the babe in her body leap for joy upon hearing Mary’s news of her pregnancy. The Holy Breath is an actor in both Mary’s and Elizabeth’s pregnancies. We might think of the incarnation as a timeless event, at one moment in time, yet here we see how the Holy Breath highlights another incubating life, that of John the Baptist, and then prepares us for the birth of the Christ child.
This story between two expectant mothers raises tender emotions for those who have felt the internal flutter of life as well as those who have not. One does not have to feel the stirring in the womb to embody the joy of God’s presence. Joy in God’s presence is as simple as a “pregnant” pause in the moment, in the breath, and in the felt sense of being blessed. We are blessed not only by external experience but by an internal knowledge that God’s spirit is with us and goes before us to show the path of hope, peace, joy, and love.
This week we light the Advent candle of joy noticing that it is a different color, pink. The color pink is often associated with our feminine nature, with healers and people who are particularly empathetic and nurturing. A mudra, or hand gesture, is a yoga practice we can employ to tap into our nurturing nature and cultivate joy. Take a comfortable seat, interlace your fingers, palms up, thumb tips touching, and lay them in your lap. Close your eyes, breathe, and imagine a soft pink light resting in the cradle of your hands. Be blessed in the fullness of God’s presence.
