“My soul rejoices in the Lord!” Mary’s words to her cousin Elizabeth, as recounted in St. Luke’s Gospel, capture for us the theme of Preparation Year II for our Diocesan Golden Jubilee: “Rejoice!” Mary’s words encourage us also to rejoice with her in the Lord. The Lord Jesus was already present in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she spoke these words to Elizabeth. They, too, can come from within us when the Lord is present in our souls and in our lives.
Under Mary’s title, Cause of our Joy, we are reminded that when we have a deep devotion to our Blessed Mother, she will always lead us to her Son, the source and fount of true joy. If we desire to have the joy of the Lord in our lives and in our souls, personal cultivation of devotion to Mary is a necessity. Through a relationship with Mary, we are drawn “ … more intimately into the great mystery of the Incarnation” of her Son, who fills us with his grace and heavenly blessings. (cf. Lumen Gentium, 65).
In the account of the Visitation, as Mary greets Elizabeth, what does Elizabeth say to Mary? “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45). It is that confident trust Mary has in the promises of her Son that we seek in our own lives. Like Mary, when we trust in the promises of the Lord, we know they will be fulfilled. Through this trust, we rejoice with Mary and with all those who have gone before us, who likewise trusted in the promises and the goodness of God.
Mary’s exclamation, “My soul rejoices in the Lord!” is not simply a pleasantry. It is the sacred reality that shines forth from the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Francis observed that Mary “rejoices because she carries something greater than herself: she is the bearer of a blessing” (Pope Francis homily, May 31, 2019). Her joy flows from the intimacy she has with her son and her willingness to follow Jesus in perfect discipleship.
Dear friends: Look forward in joyful hope to the celebration of our Diocesan Golden Jubilee and know that Mary, Mother of the Church, will accompany us throughout our preparation. We want to ask: “Do I seek the joy that is eternal and is found only in the Lord?” When our answer is yes, then having Mary as a fundamental part of our spiritual lives is the answer. With Mary’s help, we will, like her, be able to say: “My soul rejoices in the Lord!“
