"Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?"
Gospel Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out in those days
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."
Be a blessing!
by Elizabeth Eguia
When Mary visited Elizabeth, she travelled almost a hundred miles on foot and at that time she was three months pregnant. Without hesitation and not thinking of the inconvenience at her part, she proceeded with great delight. If you were her cousin, you would feel ecstatic and blessed. It is a lovely feeling that someone cared for you and went out of her way to give you that attention. Your mood changes, your perception in life changes and you are in good spirits despite the worries or problems that must have been troubling you earlier. It becomes a chain reaction, you also become an instrument to be a blessing for others and this is what our world needs now, being a blessing for others.
After COVID, the number of mental health issues have increased and become one of the key problems in our society. Loneliness creeps in, depression, anxiety, and some even go to the extent of self-harm, and suicide. A student who gets bullied in school because of his looks, nationality, or status in life. A mother who is never appreciated by her husband and kids despite the sacrifices she made to take care of them when they are sick, cook for them etc. A jeepney driver who has been working for 8 hours and what he earned for that day is not sufficient to pay the boundary and for their daily meal. A regular employee who has been working more than 10 hours, but his boss has never appreciated the work she is doing. These are daily real-life situations that our sisters and brothers are experiencing but we are not doing anything because we are too busy thinking of our own self.
The readings for today challenge us to be like Mary, to be an instrument of hope, to go out of our own way to give importance or appreciate others even in the simplest ways. You don’t need to travel a hundred miles to do it. You can start at your own backyard in your family. Saying “thank you” to your parents for their hard work to earn a living so the family can have a decent life. Actively listening to our brother or sister in his/her ups and down moments. Appreciate any member of the family in his achievements be it big or small accomplishments. All it takes is a little sacrifice from our end, giving even a portion of ourselves, our time for others. God sees what each of us is doing and never neglects his children. Proverbs 11:25: “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Prayer:
We praise you, glorify you, and thank you Lord for the good news for today. Thank you for opening our minds to be a blessing for others. May we, like Mary, share our time, talent, and treasure for others. May we be an instrument of hope that others may see your goodness and love. May the good Lord bless us and keep us, may his face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May he lift up his countenance in us and give us peace. Amen.
Gift for Jesus:
Gifts are not just material items that we can share to others. It could also be spending some time doing simple things with joy without asking anything in return. As a gift for baby Jesus, I challenge you to do something good in the next 90 days. A few examples will be doing voluntary household chores, greeting your neighbor with a smile, spending time with a friend in need, visiting the sick, giving donations to the church or to those who are victims of calamities such as typhoons or fire etc. A simple act of kindness matters.
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