Today’s Gospel is wrapped in delight as Elizabeth is
overcome with happiness for Mary. Elizabeth,
“filled with the holy Spirit,” cries out, “For at the moment the sound of your
greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.” (Lk 1:41,
44) Elizabeth is ecstatic about
witnessing such an abundance of blessings from God. This story is a reminder of happy moments in
our lives that are gift-wrapped and tucked into everyday interactions. These moments often reveal themselves to us when
we least expect them. Realizing these
moments is one way God reminds us of His love.
The week before Christmas vacation is a unique type of
frenzy for the elementary school teacher.
It is filled with Christmas Program rehearsals, class parties, and
children who nearly forget the daily classroom routine. Even though this was not my first year
teaching, I was caught off guard by the amount of energy that this week drained
out of me. I felt too tired to visit my
fiancé. I could barely string more than
two sentences together if I remembered to call him before going to bed each
night.
We were finally able to see a movie together on my first day
of Christmas vacation. I tried very hard
not to fall asleep, feeling I needed more rest to recover from the week. We stopped by a local coffee shop
afterwards. The owner took our order,
and we started a conversation with him about the history of his shop. He shared his experiences about opening two
businesses on his own. Then we asked him
if it was worth all the hard work. The
owner said he made good money, but then he paused. He pointed to both of us and
said, “See the smiles on your faces? The
laughs you share? That is more important.” We all smiled. This moment between my fiancé and me was
something money couldn’t buy. It was
wrapped in God’s love. This moment
reminded me of the gift God gave me in the form of a loving companion.
Recall a moment that
brought a smile to your heart. Where
were you? Was anyone else with you? What was God revealing to you in that moment? Be aware of how God may reveal Himself to you
today. Open your heart. Allow it to leap for joy when you least
expect it.
Nathalie Medina
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