From the very beginning, the good news of Jesus is meant to be shared. Mary has just agreed to be the mother of Jesus, and, already “in haste,” she travels to share the good news with her cousin. She can’t help herself; the good news impels her!
Likewise, in our own lives, the good news is meant to be shared—and not just with those who don’t know Jesus. That kind of evangelization is important; Jesus demands it. But the Visitation proposes that we ought to share the joy of the Gospel with our fellow Christians as well. Indeed, Elizabeth already knows about Jesus when Mary arrives. But that doesn’t lessen the joy these sisters share. Rather, the joy is redoubled as they celebrate God’s work together.
How has the Mighty One done great things for you this week? With whom might you share and celebrate that good news?
—Daniel Everson, S.J., a Jesuit scholastic of the U.S. Central Southern province, is currently studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.