Reflection for December 21 Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent: Luke 1:39-45

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.”

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Reflection:

Are we aware of the fact that during this Christmas season there are people who badly want our presence and who want to touch base with us? These people desire us to be with them even for a short time. They may be our parents, our siblings, our children, our relatives and our close friends whom we have not seen and talked for so long. 

In the gospel today the Blessed Mother walked more than 100 km from Nazareth to the residence of her cousin Elizabeth just to see her and to let her know that she is there for her. Mary visited her cousin not minding the long distance that she will be going through because Mary simply wanted to express her support to her cousin Elizabeth.  

The Blessed Mother was also pregnant around that time. Yet she purposely did not mind her own wellbeing so that she could take care of her cousin Elizabeth. Mary could have simply brushed aside her cousin Elizabeth but she did not.  

How many of us are willing to do that selfless act? How many of us are willing to forget our own needs so that we could give happiness to others?  Let us forget ourselves this Christmas by making a very big difference in the lives of others especially the poor ones who cannot repay our acts of charity and goodness. – Marino J. Dasmarinas