Daily Gospel Reflection
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December 22, 2021
Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
for he has looked upon his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months
and then returned to her home.
Today’s gospel passage resonates with me in this season of my life because I recently gave birth to my second son. Participating in all that comes together in forming a child has made the miracles of Elizabeth and Mary’s pregnancies seem even more miraculous to me.
The spectacular nature of Elizabeth and Mary’s motherhood journeys can seem unrelatable for most of us. After all, Elizabeth’s future was mothering a rebel prophet, John, and we all know Mary’s story.
But the way these two women leaned on each other as they prepared for their children is not difficult to relate to at all. They are family who showed up for each other in an intimate moment of need.
One of the sweetest, unexpected joys of bringing home a newborn for me has been embracing help from the people who’ve shown up for my little growing family. The friend who does a pharmacy run, the sister who gives a morale boost, the ND roommate who ships coffee, the study abroad buddy who sends new books to build baby’s library—these women didn’t make treks through the desert, but their acts of care were each significant to me.
Christmas was challenging last year for many families. So many of us couldn’t participate in those heartfelt celebrations we would host because of the pandemic. Although we acknowledge those missed experiences, I believe it has filled us with a greater sense of gratitude for this year.
Going into a new holiday season, let us ask ourselves how we can show up as Mary did for Elizabeth. How can we celebrate the little miracles in our family and friends’ lives during this season and beyond?
Prayer
“The Almighty has done great things for me,” Mary proclaims in today’s Gospel. God has cast down the mighty, raised up the lowly, and filled the hungry with good things. Lord God almighty, help us to realize the great things you do for us, especially in giving us your Son as our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Blessed Thomas Holland was a Jesuit priest who was executed in London during the English Reformation.
He was born to a noble family of England in 1600 and was sent to France and Spain for his education. He entered the Jesuit order in 1624 and was ordained a priest soon afterwards. After teaching and serving spiritual needs in France and Belgium, he was sent as a missionary to England, where being Catholic was forbidden.
He was well-suited to be a missionary in the Catholic underground community in London—he spoke flawless Spanish, French, and Flemish, and was known to be very good at taking on various disguises.
On Oct. 4, 1642, he was arrested in the street for a vague suspicion and was imprisoned. He was tried for being a priest—though there was no evidence for this charge, he refused to swear that he was not a priest, and was found guilty. He was sentenced to death.
When he returned to prison to await his execution, he heard many confessions and was even allowed to celebrate Mass several times.
He was executed on this date in 1642, and was led from the prison in a cart. When they arrived to the place of execution, he stood and addressed the large crowd that had gathered to watch. He confessed to being a Catholic, a priest, and a Jesuit, and then placed the noose around his own neck and forgave the judge and jury who had convicted him. He then forgave his executioner and gave him a few coins he had in his pocket. The cart pulled away and he was left to hang till dead.
Blessed Thomas Holland, you were the master of disguise who ministered to underground English Catholics, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of Bl. Thomas Holland is in the public domain. Last accessed November 1, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
