Earlier this year, my brother went into sudden cardiac arrest while running a half marathon. When my parents got the news, they immediately figured out the fastest way that they could get to my brother’s house, so that they could be there to help him and his family in their hour of need. I’ve seen the same thing happen when we’ve gotten news that a family member’s health has declined, or that a loved one has passed away suddenly.
So often, when we think of going somewhere in haste, this is what we think of: rushing to be by the side of someone who is in a life and death situation, or to console someone who has lost a loved one unexpectedly. There is a certain sadness associated with sudden travel in many of our minds, and while it is important to be with people in their hour of need, I’ve often wondered why we do not have the same energy around moments of joy in our lives. Sure, we do travel to celebrate moments of joy such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, etc., but these trips often involve months of planning, even if they are a surprise to the person we are visiting.
In our Gospel today, we see Mary going with haste to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. Mary’s haste is motivated by her joy: Mary wants to be able to share in Elizabeth’s joy, and to share the good things that God has done for her as well. She doesn’t decide to wait until the baby is born, or until she can plan things out: she goes with haste, because she cannot keep her joy to herself. This joy comes to its fullness when John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth cries out with joy in response to Mary’s greeting.
Mary’s travel in haste to her cousin reminds us that joy is to be shared with others. This has been a constant theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate, and it is the central message of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. As we draw ever nearer to the celebration of Christmas, I invite you to spend some time reflecting on how you can share your joy with others: especially with your own friends and family. My hope is that Mary’s example can be a lesson for us all and can help us to share in the joy of others with greater spontaneity. In doing so, we can be present to others in the good times of life, as well as the difficult and challenging times.
May these final days of the Advent Season be a time of joyful preparation for the celebration of our Lord’s Nativity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Steven Huber, CSB