Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1, 39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and 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.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
Mary lifts us up
1) Set out in haste. Mary has all this youthful enthusiasm; she is full of hope and passion because what she is living is something extraordinary and she knows that what is happening to Elizabeth is also something that escapes predictable, normal life. So, come on, regain your enthusiasm! Your mission in this world is not finished yet. Don’t feel down; don’t waste time turning ideas around in your head. You have a mission: you must proclaim Jesus with your life, just as Mary did. Keep going even if you come across a bumpy patch: like not getting a job, not knowing what will happen in your country, dealing with difficult people or living with them, and so on. Don’t let these things take away the joy of your mission and the enthusiasm of life. No one can take this away from you. Nobody can rob you of the joy of living your life with enthusiasm.
2) Leaped for joy. What a beautiful image! The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy! See how God touches Elizabeth’s and John’s lives; two lives touched by joy. I know that joy is something that is hard to come by every day; and I don’t mean a smile or laugh, but rather the positive attitude to find a solution to things; to jump into life and really live. Today, ask Mary to help you to be joyful, to bring joy and enthusiasm into your life and into the lives of those around you. Don’t be a pessimist or a sad Christian. Remember that you are taking Jesus to others.
3) Rejoice in the Lord. If we take a look at Mary, we will understand that happiness is not about having it all; happiness is knowing that you already have “your All” in your life. God wants you the way you are. Always look up towards Him, seek happiness, knowing that you can achieve everything if you strive away humbly along His path. It is in understanding that you are in need of God that you’ll find greatness, your greatness. Mary takes you to Jesus. Today, ask Mary for the joy of being able to give, for peace to face difficulties, and for faith to continue in God’s path. Always remember something good is on the way.
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
