"She is more Mother than Queen."

"If you ever feel distressed during your day — call upon our Lady — just say this simple prayer: 'Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.' I must admit — this prayer has never failed me."--Blessed Mother Teresa

(Gospel text: Lk 1:39-45)

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

"Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled."

Are you ready to meet Christ in a new, deep, personal, intimate, life-changing way this Christmas season?

If you are like Mary, visiting others to share Christ and the Holy Spirit (see Lk 1:39ff), you are ready for Christ this Christmas. But if you're keeping Christ to yourself, do you love Him? How can you fail to speak of someone you love?

When we learn to walk in "Mary's way", which is the way of her Son and Savior, we will find the meaning of life itself because we choose through love to give "our" lives away in love, to the One who is Love. Mary said "Yes" to the invitation to love and she humbled herself. She confronted her own fears and she entered into a new way of living.

"Mary" Christmas! May we love Jesus as Mary does. When we do, we will have the Christmas of Christmases.