Commentary on the Gospel of
A Model Church
The theme of joy continues today as well. Look at the community gathered today: Mary, Elizabeth, and little John in the womb – all bubbling with pure joy! Elizabeth is delighted to see Mary. Little John is so excited that he jumps around in his little home. Mary breaks into a song. And, there you have a classic picture of a Christian community, a model Church: a community that recognizes God’s breaking into their lives and delights in God’s doings in one another’s lives. There are no jealousies, no holier-than-thou attitudes, no pretensions, but a sheer abundance of pure happiness. Often, we tend to present Mary as a woman of sorrows; but her capacity to live through sorrows came from her greater capacity to hold on to joy. Jesus predicted that the distinguishing mark of his followers would be the love they have for one another; and one cannot love without joy in one’s heart.
