Mary’s Joy

Mary’s Joy

Scripture:

Song of Songs 2:8-14,

Luke 1:39-45.

Reflection

My dear sisters and brothers,

Today, we read from the Gospel according to Saint Luke (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.””

Mary went to meet Elizabeth and greeted her.

Elizabeth replied saying:

“Most blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

How would Elizabeth know about the encounter of Mary?

There was no mobile to communicate immediately.

I am sure that Mary may not have communicated to Elizabeth before.

We may say that Holy Spirit inspired Elizabeth.

It may be.

But,

According to my meditation, I feel that Elizabeth could see the joy and the peace on Mary’s face even though Mary was conceived before her marriage.

Yes, dear sisters and brothers,

Mary neither showed any kind of sadness for her present situation nor she feared of how people would judge her, on her face.

There was only the joy and peace on her face and in her life.

How would this be possible for Mary?

It was possible for Mary because Elizabeth concluded saying:

“Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

Here, we have another question:

How could Mary believe blindly what was spoken to her?

Mary listened to the Lord as the lover listens to her/his beloved.

We read (Song of Songs 2:8-14):

“Let me see you,

let me hear your voice,

For your voice is sweet,

and you are lovely.”

Love speaks the truth.

Love believes in the other.

That is the reason, Mary could believe strongly that what was spoken by the Lord would be fulfilled in her life.

This confidence and faith made her life full of joy and of peace.

The question for our reflection is: Can we listen to the Word as a lover listens to the beloved so that we can be filled with joy and peace like Mary in our lives in spite of our daily struggles?

May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen...