With the best news, she went to help

When something good happens to us, it's easy to shut ourselves up in it: telling people, enjoying it, making plans. And there's nothing wrong with that. But true joy tends to go out of itself. Mary, who had just learned that she was going to be the mother of Jesus, hurried off to help her cousin Elizabeth, who was expecting a child at an advanced age. She turned her joy into service, without waiting until she had time to spare. A promotion, a good grade or simply a good day can also be a chance to lend a hand. Help that comes from true joy doesn't arrive as a favor, but as a celebration.