O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death.

Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
(Lk 1:39-45)

“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.“ Elizabeth’s words have echoed through the ages. As we come to these final days of waiting for the Lord’s coming, Mary’s faith gives us hope. As Elizabeth says of Mary, “Blessed are you who believed.” We share Mary’s faith in the Radiant Dawn, the Sun of Justice, the Splendor of Eternal Light, our Lord Jesus Christ. The picture is of the fresco, Mary Great with Child, in Saint Mary's Church, West Jefferson, NC. The Christmas Carol is Colombian, Salve Reina y Madre (Hail, Queen and Mother).