Theme:
Mary’s hospitality was not symbolic, but physical. She made space for the Word to become flesh : an act of trust, surrender, and of faith.
Opening Prayer
God of mystery ,
in this season of waiting,
draw us into the heart of Mary’s “yes.”
May we, too, become places of welcome for your Word.
Teach us to make space : in our lives,
our relationships, our bodies, and our communities so
that Christ may be born anew in us. Amen.
Join an Advent group
You might physically join an Advent group.
Or you may wish to create a zoom discussion group.
Or join an on line zoom Advent group or search this website.
Bible Reading
Luke 1:26–38 The Annunciation
Optional second reading: Philippians 2:5–11
The self-emptying (kenosis) of Christ
Reflection Starter
Read Aloud :
Mary’s yes was not abstract. It was not merely devotional.
It was embodied. She made room – literally – for God.
She said yes to a future she couldn’t see, to a change she couldn’t predict, to a surrender that would mark her forever.
Her womb became the first home of the Incarnate Word.
Her hospitality became the threshold through which salvation entered history.
As Franciscans, we cherish the humility of the crib, the vulnerability of God choosing to dwell with us in poverty, fragility, and flesh.
Francis wanted people to see and feel the Incarnation – this is why he built the first nativity scene in Greccio. He wanted people to encounter the God who is born among animals, in a cave, in the arms of a young mother.
Mary made space. Will we?
Discussion Questions
Encourage open sharing. Use silence as a gift.
- What strikes you most in Mary’s response to the angel?
- What does it mean to say that Mary made physical space for God?
- Have you ever felt God ask something of you that required surrender or trust?
- In what ways might you be invited to make space for Christ this Advent?
- What does this story teach us about how God chooses to come into the world?
Embodied Reflection: Making Space
Provide each person with a small square of cloth or paper.
Invite them to hold it in their hands and reflect silently on what they may need to make space for this Advent. They might write a word or draw a symbol. Place them in a basket or around a central candle.
Wondering Questions
- I wonder how Mary felt as she said yes.
- I wonder what it was like to carry a mystery inside us.
- I wonder how we make room for God in our lives.
- I wonder what it means to be brave like Mary.
Closing Prayer
Holy God,
as you once formed your Son in the womb of Mary,
form in us the courage to say yes,
the space to welcome your Word,
and the tenderness to bear Christ into our world.
May our lives echo Mary’s song of justice and joy.
Amen.
Between Sessions Invitation :
Daily Reflection Prompt
Throughout this coming week, take a few minutes each day to reflect on this question:
“Where am I being invited to make space – in my time, my body, my heart?”
You may wish to light a candle each evening, remembering that Mary’s ‘yes’ lit the first flame of the Incarnation.
People may also wish to use our daily Reflection materials.
