How does On Care for Our Common Home challenge me, in light of today’s Gospel (Luke 1:39–45) and the cry of “O Rising Sun, #come to enlighten those who dwell in darkness”, to pay renewed attention to the reality and limits God imposes for fruitful growth—like expectant mothers who wait with patience and hope—rather than, like a lamb sticking its neck out for food beyond the fence, going out of my way to seek validation from “men clothed in sacred forms who in reality continue to think and act according to the fashions of the world” especially as I reflect on a seminarian’s story in a podcast about his calling and journey toward service❓
Mary set out in those days
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,
“Most 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.”
This question invites me to reflect on how I approach my faith, particularly in light of Mary’s example in today’s Gospel (Luke 1:39–45). Mary, carrying the Lord within her, comes to Elizabeth not to seek recognition or to assert her unique calling, but to humbly serve and share Christ’s presence with those in need. Her selflessness challenges me to examine whether I am drawn to this kind of humility and holy desire to serve, or if I allow “spiritual worldliness” to “come” between me and the actions and relationships I choose.
Clericalism, as addressed in the Letter of the Holy Father to the Priests of the Diocese of Rome (2023), comes not only from the clergy but also from me when I substitute the priest for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. When I fail to keep Christ at the center of my faith, I allow clericalism to take root, creating a dynamic where my misplaced worship fuels this distortion. Mary’s example calls me to confront this tendency and “come” back to a Christ-centered understanding of my faith, ensuring that my devotion reflects God’s will and not my own desires.
The message of On Care for Our Common Home further emphasizes the importance of humility and service, urging me to “come” to terms with the limits of my own “spiritual worldliness” and to embrace the reality of my responsibilities. Like Mary, I am called to bear Christ to others with humility and love, not for recognition or power but as a response to God’s invitation to serve. This requires me to come face-to-face with the ways I contribute to clericalism or self-interest, challenging me to embody a spirit of true service and surrender.
Am I ready to embrace Mary’s humility and come closer to Christ’s example by serving others with a pure heart in such a way that they may ask,…
“‘And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me❓‘”
The time has come to pay renewed attention to reality and the limits it imposes; this in turn is the condition for a more sound and fruitful development of individuals and society.
From paragraph 116 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME