said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it,
that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the
baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word
would come true!” And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit
exults in God, my savior!”
Reflect:
The theme of joy continues today as well. Look at the community gathered today: Mary,
Elizabeth, and little John in the womb – all bubbling with pure joy! Elizabeth is delighted
to see Mary. Little John is so excited that he jumps around in his little home. Mary breaks
into a song. And, there you have a classic picture of a Christian community, a model Church:
a community that recognizes God’s breaking into their lives and delights in God’s doings in
one another’s lives. There are no jealousies, no holier-thanthou attitudes, no pretensions,
but a sheer abundance of pure happiness. Often, we tend to present Mary as a woman of
sorrows; but her capacity to live through sorrows came from her greater capacity to hold
on to joy. Jesus predicted that the distinguishing mark of his followers would be the love
they have for one another; and one cannot love without joy in one’s heart.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022