Pope Francis sees Mary as a guide for all Christians and especially as a role model for the Church itself. In the story of Mary going to her cousin Elizabeth, also with child, we see someone setting aside the extraordinary revelations she has just received to reach out to someone else who needs comfort and aid. Our Church has at times been somewhat closed in on itself, waiting for people to come seeking the graces it had to offer and judging the worthiness of those seekers. This shouldn’t surprise us, given that the church is made up of human beings with all the weaknesses and limitations that involves. But Mary and Jesus show us again and again that it is possible to grow beyond those limitations and to reach out with divine grace to those who need it the most. Sometimes what we dislike in our institutions is something that we don’t want to recognize in ourselves. As each of us grows spiritually, our communities will become more open and loving.
—from the book The Joy of Advent: Daily Reflections from Pope Francis
by Diane M. Houdek
