Painting in the church of El Sitio, Suchitoto, El Salvador
Mary went in haste
to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Luke 1:
Mary, pregnant with the Word of God, goes to visit her aged cousin, Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist.
Did she go just to help her cousin or did she go seeking the help and advice of an older relative who was also experiencing pregnancy?
Did she go confident of what she had experienced when the angel appeared to her or did she go to share her misgivings with a cousin whose husband had also been visited by an angel?
We will probably never know.
But I think this is a case of real solidarity, real accompaniment. Both are sharing and caring for each other. Both have something to offer. Both experience the presence of the Lord in very physical ways – Mary with Jesus in her womb and Elizabeth with John jumping (kicking?) in hers.
When we realize that God is present, we can be more open to accompanying the other person, being there with them in joys and sorrows, in pain and in laughter.
May this season be a time to renew experiences of solidarity and accompaniment – so that we can remember that God is present.
walk the way 
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How can I get permission to use the picture of the painting of mary and Elizabeth for Christmas eve service at the church I work at?
It’s beautiful and I’d like to share it with my congregation. Thank you,
I took the photo of the picture. Just acknowledge that this picture of Mary and Elizabeth in the church of El Sitio, Suchitoto, El Salvador, was taken by John Donaghy.
As long as you don’t modify it or use it for financial purposes, it’s fine to use.
Pingback: Let us accompany and be present to one another. – Spiritual Stepping Stones
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Pingback: Let us too, with haste, share the good news of Jesus! – Spiritual Stepping Stones
Pingback: Let us share the Joy of Mary and Elizabeth with all we encounter, one smile at a time! – Spiritual Stepping Stones
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This is beautiful, poignant, John. Thank you. I will be reading this at our family Christmas dinner. We all need to hear the Good News often because, in this hectic, shattered world of today, we tend to forget that HE IS always with us — and so is His Mother.