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.
In the times I have been to Israel one
of my favorite stops has always been the village of Ein Karem. There your 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 for many making it to 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 status 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!”
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 it’s
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!
Runner’s Thought: I am signed up
to runner the NYC Marathon next November and I have taken as my 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!
TGIF everyone! Yes, we have made it to
the end of another week and another month. My how time flies when you are
having fun! On this Feast of the Visitation I send special greetings to all
mothers, especially those who are carrying life at this time. Through the
spirit of Elizabeth and Mary I ask God’s blessing upon all of you for the gifts
of hope and love you give to the world. Mothers are truly special people.
I hope everyone has a great Friday and
that as it draws to a close it will lead you into a wonderful weekend. I pray
for blessings upon your work, your ministry, and your experiences today. I also
pray for blessing upon those you love, those your encounter today and
especially upon you! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr. Paul
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