The Child Who Leaped With Joy in the Womb

Prayer-Soldier

The Child Who Leaped With Joy in the Womb

Scripture:

Now shall you be laid waste, O daughter of the robber: they have laid siege against us, with a rod shall they strike the cheek of the judge of Israel. AND YOU, BETHLEHEM Ephrata, are a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel: and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore will he give them up even till the time wherein she that travails shall bring forth: and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel. And he shall stand, and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the height of the name of the Lord his God: and they shall be converted, for now shall he be magnified even to the ends of the earth.
(Micah 5:1-4)

Wherefore when he come into the world, he said: Sacrifice and oblation you would not: but a body you have fitted to me: Holocausts for sin did not please you. Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do your will, O God. In saying before, Sacrifices, and oblations, and holocausts for sin you would not, neither are they pleasing to you, which are offered according to the law. Then said I: Behold, I come to do your will, O God: he takes away the first, that he may establish that which follows. In this will, we are sanctified by the oblation of the body of Jesus Christ once.
(Hebrews 10:5-10)

And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit: And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed are you that have believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to you by the Lord.
(Luke 1:39-45)

Reflection:

A prophesy was raised describing the One who comes to rule the nations and give peace. Still, the conflicts of the day are fought with the sword and not resolved by what is right and just. The inclination of too many is to pursue power and the trappings of power. Rather than following the commandments of their Creator, they follow selfish desires which generate conflicts and draws violence and harm to one another; both the guilty and the innocent.

The true strength which God places in the hands of every child of His creation is the power of love. Though it does not bring forth massive armies and weapons to the field of battle, if we all reach to this power, armies will be made obsolete. The nature of governments would change from enforcement to enablement. Such power begins with a choice; the choice to live according to the ways of God as opposed to the ways of the world.

Those who close the eyes and ears of the heart cannot perceive and comprehend His holy truth. Even if we are only able to examine the world through our physical senses, we must observe that our ways do not produce what is right and just. As we review history, we should see that selfish behaviors drive conflicts, violence, and other harms which ripple from person to person and heart to heart. If love was shared by all as we are instructed by His commandments, then, civility, compassion, caring, and charity would ripple from person to person and heart to heart.

A child who would be named John, and later known as John the Baptist, leapt in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth, as he felt the presence of His Lord, who was also in the womb; the womb of Mary, the one chosen by the Heavenly Father to bring His only begotten Son into the world; not to destroy it, but to save the children of His creation. (cf. John 3:14-21) John was sent by God to herald the coming; the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords. (cf. John 1:15-18, Revelation 17:14, 19:11-16)

Just as joy filled Elizabeth and her unborn child as they felt the presence of the Lord, for they were both filled with the Holy Spirit, so too may every heart be filled which invites Him into their heart to reside within them and to lead them. As the prophecy was brought to past, it would be the One of whom John the Baptist spoke who would send the Holy Spirit (cf. John 14:26) to reside in every heart which accepts Him and who desires He may work through them.

It is the Holy Spirit which testifies to the truth (cf. 1 John 5:6). If we seek the truth, we shall also learn the purpose for which the Heavenly Father created us. If we seek the truth, we will learn the blessings of His commandments to love. If we seek the truth, we will find the path He desires for us, the path to His kingdom where love is shared eternally by all.

Questions for further reflection:

In what ways may we allow God to work through us to bring forth what is right and just?

In what ways may we allow God to use us to accomplish His will?

In what ways may we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us and lead us?

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier