Mass Readings:

A reading from the holy Gospel according to 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.

REFLECTION:

Mary's journey began before her birth. She was chosen by God to be the Mother of His Son. This was an awesome privilege and responsibility. And what a good Mother she is. She received both a crown of joy and a crown of sorrow. She is the example for all of us to follow on our journey to heaven.

Mary began her journey with the swiftness of her fiat though she did not understand this unfolding mystery. She trusted God. Mary brought Jesus to Elizabeth and she brings Jesus to us.

How can we do the same? How can we follow Mary's footsteps to Jesus? We can receive communion daily and let Jesus become flesh in our lives. We can share He who lives in us to our family, in service, prayer, bringing communion to the homebound, a smile and warm greetings to the harried teacher or cashier or nurse, feeding the homeless, making peace with an estranged member of our family and just about everywhere where Christ can work through us. In our handbook we can find on page 45, the fourteen ways to love our neighbor as we have loved ourselves.

May we and the priests respond with a resounding "yes" when God calls us. Maybe we should get into the habit of daily saying Mary’s Hymn of Praise for the Lord.

"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."

God Bless you.