REFLECTIONS TODAY

Gospel • Luke 1:39-45 
 

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, “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.”

Bearer of God’s blessing to others 

The Gospel today tells of Mary going in haste from Nazareth to Ein Kerem, a hill country in Judea, to visit her cousin Elizabeth whom the angel revealed to bear a child in her old age. Elizabeth has gone into seclusion, sharing in Zechariah’s silence, to ponder on the Lord’s mysterious ways with them at this point of their lives. She might also want to avoid hearing the talks of the village about her. 

Mary, too, might be avoiding the ruckus of her own village when she is found out to be with child before cohabiting with Joseph, her betrothed. But the focus of Luke is the joy felt by the two women when they meet, Mary embracing her elderly cousin, and Elizabeth feeling honored by the visit of the “mother of my Lord” (v 43). Indeed, they are a blessing to each other. They teach us the importance of visits and mutual support in crucial times of life. 

In many instances of our lives, we share each other’s joys, sorrows, and burdens. We rejoice at birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. We offer our sympathies when someone dies in the family; we share when there is lack of food as in the time of Covid-19 pandemic; we give our support to those who are confused, depressed, or in doubt. Filipinos have a special word for this: damayan — compassion or getting involved. 

In bringing Jesus who is still in her womb to Elizabeth, Mary has become a blessing to Elizabeth. She is also a blessing to us who were entrusted to her by Jesus on the cross. Pope Francis points out what this entails, “She, who was blessed, became a blessing for all those whom she met: for Elizabeth, for the newlyweds at Cana, for the Apostles in the Upper Room… 

We too are called to bless, to ‘speak well’ in God’s name. Therefore, speak blessings and not curses. Our world is gravely polluted by the way we ‘speak’ and think ‘badly’ of others, of society, of ourselves. Speaking badly corrupts and decays, whereas blessing restores life and gives the strength needed to begin anew each day. 

Let us ask the Mother of God for the grace to be joyful bearers of God’s blessing to others, as she is to us” (Homily, New Year’s Day 2021).

Source: “366 Days with the Lord 2024,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.