Am I truly prepared?

As I began to write this reflection on Mary’s visit to see Elizabeth, I literally received a text informing me that my niece just had her first baby within the last hour. My oldest daughter will be having a baby on Friday (her original due date was to be Christmas day, but the doctor is allowing her to have the baby two days early, so she can be home with her husband and other two young children on Christmas Day). Both babies are boys and they will be second cousins. And I was randomly chosen to reflect on this scripture today? Hmmm…

At this time of year, it’s easy to think about taking a journey. So many families will be traveling to see loved ones at Christmas. While there will be some frustration at airports and on the highways, it hardly compares with a pregnant woman traveling by foot to see her relative over 60 miles away. 

What really strikes me, though, is how quickly Mary came to serve and support Elizabeth. Scripture tells us she traveled “in haste”. The mother of Jesus didn’t act like she was too important to help out. A pregnant Mary put another’s needs before her own. We all need each other’s support in important times. We are called to serve. 

Whether an extrovert or introvert, a loner or part of a group, we need each other, and we all need the love of Jesus. We can see it in our students when they are struggling. It is hard for adolescent boys to admit that they need some help. 



Summer Immersion Trip
Quito, Ecuador

Finally, I am moved by Elizabeth’s unwavering faith and her joy that the Word of God has been fulfilled. “The infant leaped in her womb” when Mary greeted her. Our lives would all be more focused on the right thing if we believed that Jesus’ birth changed the course of human history, and that the stain of original sin can somehow be reversed. When I reflect on that kind of faith and belief, then I know I am truly prepared for Christmas.

Author: Jack Fitzsimmons, Director of Guidance and College Counseling