Photo was taken at Griffins Garden Centre, Dripsey, Co.Cork

A baby Alpaca only a week on, sits next to its mum near the live Christmas Crib at Griffins

Thought on Sunday – December – 23/12/2012

The following reflection is by Triona Doherty called ‘About her glowed such joy’

Mary is sometimes described as the first evangelist, as she was the first to bring the good news of Jesus to others. In that first visit to Elizabeth, she becomes ‘the model for those in the Church who set out to bring Christ’s light and joy to the people of every time and place’ (Pope John Paul II).

The joy of that visit and its implications for us is beautifully captured in Ruth Mary Fox’s poem ‘Carrying Christ’.

Into the hillside country Mary went

Carrying Christ, and all along the road

The Christ she carried generously bestowed

His grace on those she met. She had not meant

To tell she carried Christ. She was content

To hide His love for her. But about her glowed

Such joy that into stony hearts love flowed,

And even to the unborn John Christ’s grace was sent.

Christ in His Sacrament of love each day

Dwells in my soul a little space and then

I walk life’s crowded highway, jostling men

Who seldom think of God. To these I pray

That I may carry Christ, for it may be

Some would not know of Him except through me.