DAY 10: Ponder the Mystery: A Contemplative Advent Journey

“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’” Luke 1:38

PONDER: Mary’s three-fold prayer, perhaps prayed and practiced throughout her life, becomes a roadmap to knowing a deeply intimate relationship with God, fully given over to the Divine way and word. And while this prayer is self-surrender, it paradoxically ushers in a wild freedom to experience the fullness of God’s heart as our purest identity. Ask God for the grace of a willing heart that may at times resist surrender, but at the same time longs for such freedom without fear.

RESPOND: Begin this prayer of surrender with three words: “Here I am.” Observe yourself as you are -- the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental state of being. “Here I am,” anxious… content… bored…restless…excited…distracted…weary… In whatever condition you find yourself, turn your whole self toward God and whisper, “Here I am.”

Move to the second stage of surrender, by offering yourself as “a servant of the Lord,” allowing the Divine presence to set the pace and gently partner in the activity of this day and the days to come.  Listen for what arises within you and simply turn it toward God. Continue to bring yourself to this stillness with the words, “Here I am.”

And finally, offer your desire to be given over to God’s ways saying, “Let it be with me according to your word.” Listen for that specific word or instruction rising within your spirit. And if all is silent, let silence and stillness be your place of rest to live out during this day.

A BLESSING: In anticipation of the coming of Jesus, may you live yielded and still in the love of God. May you experience delight as you participate in the Divine nature. May the Word of the Lord come to you with clarity and speak to you as your comfort and joy. Amen.