“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.'” Luke 1:13-17 NKJV

“And in the sixth month, the angel, Gabriel, was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.’ Then said Mary unto the angel, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ And the angel answered and said unto her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38 KJV

Photo/The Nativity Story Movie

As foretold, Jesus was divinely conceived in the virgin Mary. Thereafter, she visited her cousin, Elizabeth, who was expecting a child, John, as well.

Upon arrival to her home, Mary greeted Elizabeth. Between the two, there must have been much to share and tell.

On hearing the greeting of Mary, Elizabeth felt the baby, who was already filled with the Holy Spirit, inside of her own womb leap for joy.

And then, by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth spoke loudly, declaring that God’s favor was great on Mary and her baby boy.

Elizabeth questioned why she was being granted such an honor, to be visited by Mary, “the mother of my Lord,”

but said that, through Mary, the world would have Jesus, the Savior—every believer’s greatest reward.

The Song of Mary

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.” (Luke 1:46-55 NKJV)

“And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.”
Luke 1:56 NKJV

…from Luke 1

A further reflection on these two women is found at today’s post by Ceci Sheets, wife of Dutch Sheets:

http://www.dutchsheets.org (video)

http://www.givehim15.com (written)

And see Day 14 of the “25 Songs of Christmas” at http://www.kcm.org to hear, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

For prayer support, visit http://www.govictory.com 24/7 (morning prayer M-F, 9:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. CT), for viewing the program). To call, the number is 877-281-6297, where you can pray with and for others for their needs or submit a prayer request of your own. That number can also be reached throughout the day until 11:00 p.m. ET, (10:00 p.m. CT).