Gospel

‘He who is mighty has done great things for me; he has exalted those of humble estate.’
Luke 1:39-56

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’
And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring for ever.’
And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

The Gospel of the Lord

Mary, School of Love

In this Gospel, we contemplate Our Mother, who teaches us how to love and shows us the steps to follow: First, to receive Jesus, to have God within us. Then, without delay, to set out to bring Jesus to others and to serve, just as Mary promptly sets out to serve Elizabeth. She does not remain enclosed within herself, but goes out to meet Elizabeth. She does not wait for her to ask for help; she takes the initiative. Elizabeth recognises God’s action in Mary, and Mary takes no credit for herself, but responds with the Magnificat, proclaiming that every good thing comes from God, praising Him, exalting Him and giving Him thanks. And we see that when we truly put Christ at the centre of our lives, we are filled with joy, an overflowing joy that comes from knowing that God is among us.
Husbands and wives, true love always moves us to go beyond ourselves in order to seek the good of others, and who is closer to us than our spouse? In married life, charity often consists in recognising the needs of the other before they express them, serving with joy and putting our own gifts at the service of others, without taking credit for the good that exists in our family, but recognising that it is God who transforms our hearts and makes our love fruitful. That is why married love is not lived only for the two spouses, but becomes a source of life for our children, our family and others.
So today I ask myself: Am I willing today to step outside myself, draw closer to my spouse and serve them with joy, recognising that God wants to make our marriage an instrument of His love?

Applied to Married Life:

Nina: It strikes me that Mary, after the Annunciation, quickly sets out to help Elizabeth. She does not remain focused on herself or think of herself first, but on the good of the other person.
Patrick: It strikes me too. It makes me think of us. I often focus on my own worries and wait for you to take the first step and ask me for things, instead of paying attention to what you need.
Nina: I do the same. Sometimes I am so focused on myself and what I need that I forget to ask myself: “What can I do today to make Patrick feel better?” But Mary teaches us that loving means going beyond ourselves and seeking the good of the other person first.
Patrick: I think that’s very important, Nina. Love isn’t simply about having butterflies in your stomach or feeling affection for you; it’s about serving you, listening to you and caring about what you need. When I serve you out of love, I don’t lose anything; on the contrary, I notice that our marriage grows in communion.
Nina: And Mary doesn’t go simply to help; she also carries Jesus with her. That makes me think that we too can bring Christ to one another when we live with patience, humility and self-giving.
Patrick: And the encounter ends in joy and praise. Perhaps we too should learn to recognise the good things God does in our marriage, even in the midst of our difficulties.
Nina: So, what can we do today?
Patrick: Well, like Mary: let us go out to meet one another, serve without expecting anything in return and give thanks to God.
Nina: Yes. And may our marriage also be a Visitation: bringing Christ into the heart of the other.

Mother,
teach us to truly love one another with the love of God, with a gentle and humble heart like yours, ready to serve and to bring Jesus to others, and to recognise that everything good is the work of Our Lord. Blessed and glorious are You, Mother! Praised be the Lord for ever!