Daily Reflections ...

How magnificent is today’s gospel?

What a captivating image of these two women as they encounter each other in love, finding sanctuary and encouragement, sharing each other’s joy and delighting together in God’s unfolding plan.

As she arrives at Elizabeths house, Mary is carrying so much more than just her luggage! Here she is, the young woman who had the courage to say ‘yes’, now carrying this unexplainable, miracle child. A young woman, who had to tell her betrothed she was with child, who was surely aware of the whispers behind her back from the community in Nazareth. A young woman holding on to the angel’s words to ‘be not afraid’ when moments of confusion and doubt sought to creep in.

For Mary, Elizabeth is a sanctuary. Elizabeth greets Mary so beautifully that she bursts into praise of the Lord. She sees who Mary is in God’s plan and who she is becoming, and Elizabeth celebrates! In this moment, doubts and anxieties fall away and these two women share the joy of being together in this extraordinary moment in time.

In this encounter, we see who we are meant to be for each other as church. Don’t we also, through the power of our baptism carry this same Jesus? Don’t we too have with us this same Holy Spirit? Should we not also lift each other up, rejoicing in the Light we each carry and reminding each other of not only who we are but Whose we are?

Heavenly Father, grant us the grace to listen to your Spirit, to respond to opportunities to lift each other up so together we may all proclaim with our Most Holy Mother “My soul magnifies the Lord”. Amen.

by Arthur Wilson