A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke
Mary set out
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,
“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.”
We’ve all heard it: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This phrase, most recently slapped onto coffee mugs and Instagram story posts in beautiful script writing speaks depths about our culture and is why we find this encounter between Mary and Elizabeth so profound.
As soon as the angel Gabriel leaves Mary, she sets out “in haste” to share the news with her cousin Elizabeth and rejoice with her because she was with child after many years of infertility. How easy it could have been for Mary to make it all about her. How easy it could have been for Elizabeth to be resentful that her young cousin was pregnant with the Messiah. However, both of them rejoiced in the other’s goodness and took delight in what the Lord had done for each of them.
There are many times that I can look back on my life and see where I failed to rejoice with someone or where they did not rejoice with me. Think of a time where this has happened to you. The negativity creeps in. We begin to question who we are. We feel rejected. We feel unseen. Instead of being sorrowful at other’s good news, let us take the disposition of delight.
In opposition, think of a time where you felt so seen and rejoiced in by another, when another’s presence made you better just by being with them. We are made to be delighted in and in turn, we are made to delight in others and to exude the light of Jesus, our sweet Savior.
Mary, in carrying the Son of God, had no other response but to praise and delight. In her presence, Elizabeth could see the goodness. Her joy was so overflowing that the baby in her womb leaped for joy. Both were walking intimately with God the Father and so had the eyes to see each other as they were: beloved, sacred and whole.
What would it look like if we looked with the eyes of Jesus, the eyes of the beloved? How would we respond to people?
As we draw closer to the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I invite you to enter into learning how to more deeply show reverence to the people in front of you. To allow Jesus to truly make His home within you, so that there is nothing else but praise and delight for you to give.
About the Author: Marie is from Lafayette, LA, where she moved with her parents and four younger siblings in 2012. She first encountered the love of the Father at a Steubenville youth conference in 2014 and since then has been committed to mission work. In college, she spent two summers serving with Life Teen summer camps as well as being involved at Christ the King at LSU. She is currently finishing up her undergrad at LSU studying mass communication with a concentration in public relations. After graduation, she hopes to work in nonprofit communications. In her free time, you could probably find her at a coffee shop, finding new home decor items for her apartment or creating something new and fun.
How do you like your coffee? This is complicated… If I'm at home: brewed coffee with creamer until it has a tan-ish color OR a latte from my nespresso:) Best coffee shop drink in BR- hands down the cold brew de crema from City Roots- it will change your life.
Who is your favorite saint at the moment and why? I have to be basic and say St. Joseph- i feel like i have really gotten to know him for the first time this year and really resonate and just feel secure in the protection and care.
What are the top three songs on your playlist? Not Worship: “Like Gold”by Vance Joy, “Maine” by Noah Kahan, “Flowers in Your Hair” by The Lumineers / Worship: “Shall Not Want” by Maverick City Music, “God is Love” by Chris Renzema, “Jesus What A Savior” by Housefires
What food would you eat every day for the rest of your life? Mac n’ cheese!
What is a random life hack you have? Don’t put your phone/alarm clock right next to your bed so you don’t snooze in the morning and have to get out of bed to turn it off!
The Well is a weekly reflection series from Red Stick Catholics that was created to allow young adults from the Diocese of Baton Rouge to reveal how God is speaking to them through prayer and Scripture. Each reflection contains the upcoming Sunday’s Gospel, a reflection written by a young adult from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and prompts for how to pray with the Gospel and reflection during the week.