Yet these
words spoken by Elizabeth today, “How does this happen to me?” are spoken out
of excitement and joy. This ordinary woman encounters the mother of God, what a
great gift! It is such a wonderful moment that all present are moved to
celebrate even the child in her womb. It is not a time of frustration or
struggle; it is a time of joy and hope.
I have
been to Israel many times and one of my favorite stops has always been the
village of Ein Karem. There you will find the Church of St. John the Baptist
and to the southwest high on a hill the Church of the Visitation. Even though
it is a rather steep hill and a difficult walk the Church of the Visitation is
always a great treat and the words that always come to mind are, “It is good
for us to be here!” As you enter the courtyard of the Church there is a statue
of Elizabeth and Mary two pregnant women joyfully greeting, embracing each
other.
Seeing
the statues of Elizabeth and Mary is always a moment of hope for me because
seeing any pregnant woman is a hopeful gift. It is a sign of life, a sign of
the future, a sign of hope. With today’s Feast of the Visitation we are reminded
to be a people of life because it is in and through life that we encounter the
gifts of hope and love and come to know the blessing of, “how this life happens
to us!”
Happy
Feast of the Visitation and say a special prayer for all pregnant women that
Elizabeth and Mary will walk with them as they bring new life and hope into the
world!
Have a
great Tuesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
Loving God, we come to you this day as a people in need of hope. There are
times when because of the experiences of life we feel helpless, when we feel
weak and overwhelmed. So today we pray for your gift of hope. We need hope so
that we might build a better future. We need hope that we might live a better
life. We need hope that we might be a people of love and kindness.
It is
often said that the sky is at its darkest just before the light. And so we pray
that this is true, because often life seems dark and we need your light, O God,
in every way. We pray that we will be filled with your light from head to toe.
So that we might find the joy and hope that Elizabeth found when visited by
Mary. That we might say with excitement not frustration or struggle, how does
this life happen to me?
Help us
to be people of hope today that all is right in the world, as you have planned,
and as you want it to be. Help us to walk in your light, and live our lives in
faith and hope. Amen!
A
Runner’s Thoughts: I always use as my running theme, “I run for Life!”
Wherever and whenever you run today run in the spirit of Elizabeth and Mary,
run for life! Let us as we run be signs, witnesses and proclaimers of just how
wonderful life is and can be!
Daily
Blessing:
Tuesday greetings and blessings to all. On this Feast of the Visitation I send
special greetings to all mothers, especially those who are carrying life at
this time and in a particular way I remember my niece, Sarah who just gave
birth to her son, Michael, last Friday. Through the spirit of Elizabeth and
Mary I ask God’s blessing upon all mothers for the gifts of hope and love that you
give to the world. Mothers are truly special people.
As the
day begins here in Pelham it looks to be another warm sunny day. I expect for
many of us today will feel like a Monday after the long Memorial Day weekend. I
hope you had a nice holiday weekend with some rest and relaxation. Not much on
my agenda today just continued preparations for the next three weeks on the
road beginning Saturday.
My prayer
of blessing for all today is that you will have a great Tuesday and a wonderful
and blessed week. I pray for blessings upon your work, your ministry, and your
experiences of life today and always. I also pray for blessing upon those you
love, those your encounter and especially upon you today! Peace in Christ’s
Passion…Fr. Paul
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