Theme:
The womb is not the end of the story. Mary’s yes led to birth, and birth to transformation. Advent is not only about waiting – it’s about preparing to
bring Christ into the world again, through lives of joy, peace, and love.
Opening Prayer
God of New Beginnings,
you come to us not just in memory, but in possibility.
Just as Christ was born in a stable,
be born again in our hearts, our homes, our communities.
May our lives make space for your resurrection life.
May we, like Mary, bear you into the world with courage,
and like Francis, embody joy, peace, and hope.
Amen.
Scripture Reading
Luke 1:39–56 The Visitation and the Magnificat
Romans 8:22–25 All creation is groaning… waiting for new birth
Reflection Starter
Read aloud:
Mary’s yes did not end in labour. Her womb made space for Christ – but her whole life afterward bore witness to him.
She sang a song of revolution: the proud scattered, the lowly lifted, the hungry filled. The womb was not a container – it was a beginning.
Mary didn’t keep Jesus inside her – she brought him into a world aching for justice.
And today, the Body of Christ is still being formed – in the Church, in acts of compassion, in quiet resistance, in public joy, in healing, in forgiveness, in love.
Francis understood this. He believed the Incarnation continues wherever we choose to live simply, generously, and joyfully for the sake of others.
The question at the end of Advent is not just what are we waiting for, but what are we willing to bring forth?
Discussion Questions
- What part of Mary’s story most speaks to you at this point in the Advent journey?
- How do we “make room” for Christ in the world today?
- What does it mean for the Church – and for each of us – to “bear Christ” to others?
- What part of your life is being called into newness or transformation?
- Where do you see signs of resurrection hope around you?
Creative Response (Optional)
Birthing Hope
Give each person a strip of paper or card and invite them to write or draw a commitment or prayer – something they feel called to bring into the world this season: a gesture of hope, an act of justice, a step of healing, a promise of joy. Place the offerings in a basket or pin to a central board — a collective act of Incarnation.
Wondering Questions
- I wonder what it felt like for Mary to sing the Magnificat.
- I wonder how Mary felt when she saw the world begin to change.
- I wonder what kind of world Jesus was born into — and what kind he is still being born into.
- I wonder what you can carry out into the world this Advent.
Closing Prayer
Christ of the manger, Christ of the womb,
Christ of the tomb and the rising dawn
Be born again in us.
May our hearts become cribs of compassion.
May our hands become vessels of peace.
May our lives become songs of joy.
May we carry you into the world with hope.
Amen.
Final Invitation
Each day this week, pause to pray:
“Christ, be born in me today.”
And ask yourself:
“Where will I carry Christ into the world this Advent?”
Useful resources for group leader
Rowan Williams
Ponder These Things:
Praying with Icons of the Virgin Publisher: Canterbury Press, 2002
Key theme: A profound meditation on Mary, particularly through the lens of Orthodox iconography. Williams explores Mary not simply as a figure of submission, but of active participation in the mystery of God becoming flesh.
He draws attention to how the icons depict Mary as “the container of the uncontainable” : a rich theological image of the womb.
The Platytera (Mary with Christ in the womb) icon features centrally, and Williams’ reflection closely mirrors the theology behind that in this course: that the womb is holy ground, and that Mary is not passive but radically open to divine life.
Spotify Playlist
- Arvo Pärt
Spiegel im Spiegel
A meditation on stillness and slow growth, reflecting Christ’s silent gestation - Benjamin Britten
A Hymn to the Virgin
Mary’s voice in praise and humility at the heart of the Incarnation. - Hildegard of Bingen
O viridissima virga
Ancient chant celebrating Mary and the fertility of hidden life. - Sarah Hart
Holy Is His Name
A modern, contemplative take on the Magnificat’s revolutionary hope. - Taizé
Wait for the Lord
A simple chant capturing the patient rhythm of Advent waiting.
