The grace of Christmas

JAY PHELAN nails it in his "Markings" column (December 2009, The Covenant Companion):

In the end Mary didn't understand what was going on. How could she? All she could do was lean back and trust God's grace: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me according to your word." Mary was showered with grace and ever since, we have been showered with grace. But we have tried to make sure it was all "fair." We have wanted to make sure that God and everyone else knew that we earned all this. It was our wisdom, our hard work, our planning that did it all. Wisdom, hard work, and planning are necessary. But in the end, when all is said and done, it is grace.

(Wouldn't it be great if Jay were blogging his column so it was accessible to a broader audience. Hint. Hint.)