Mary visits her kinswoman, Elizabeth.

The first Christmas gift was Jesus Christ himself: “So much did God love the world that he sent his only-begotten Son.” In this meditation we use Mary’s visitation to her kinswoman Elizabeth and other texts of Scripture to consider how we can respond to that gift by:

• Giving ourselves to God through our life of prayer, penance and charity
• Growing in joy by knowing God close to us
• Bringing Christ to others, as Mary did, by our generous  self-giving to them
• Bringing joy to others in the Christmas season by bringing Christ to them through our smile, our generosity and our kindness