A reflection on Luke 1:57–66 that reveals how true Christian love rejoices even when personal dreams remain unfulfilled. ( 23-12-25)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
Two friends once shared a single dream. They both wanted to become artists. They had the ability and desire, but they had no money. After many long conversations, they came to a simple decision. One of them would work with his hands so that the other could study art properly. When that was finished, they would exchange roles, and the second would support the first. It was not a heroic plan, just a practical one born out of friendship.
Years passed. The friend who studied art slowly grew skilled. His drawings became finer, his imagination deeper. Meanwhile, the other continued working day after day. Slowly, his hands became rough and stiff. By the time the moment came for him to take the brush, his fingers no longer moved with ease. The lines refused to form. The dream he once held quietly slipped away.
What is surprising is not what he lost, but what he gained. Whenever his friend worked on a new piece, he would sit nearby and watch. There was no bitterness in his eyes. He would smile and say, “It is beautiful.” His joy no longer came from holding the brush himself, but from seeing beauty come alive through the hands of someone he loved. This is not a story about success, but it is a story about the heart.
In today’s Gospel, Luke gives us one short but demanding line. “They rejoiced with her.” Elizabeth’s joy came after long years of silence, prayer, and quiet suffering. When the mercy of God finally touched her life, it could have isolated her. Others might have kept their distance, unsure how to react. Instead, her neighbours and relatives recognized God’s hand and chose to rejoice with her.
This kind of joy is not automatic. It is easier to weep with those who weep than to rejoice with those who rejoice. Another person’s blessing often awakens our own unfulfilled hopes. Comparison enters silently. Yet the Gospel shows us that shared joy is a sign of mature faith. Joy that is not shared slowly turns heavy, but joy that is shared becomes thanksgiving.
The reading from Malachi helps us understand this more deeply. The prophet speaks of hearts being turned toward one another. This turning does not always happen through great preaching or dramatic signs. Often it happens quietly, when people allow another’s joy to become their own. That is how relationships are healed and communities are restored.
John the Baptist himself grows out of this atmosphere of generous joy. Later in his life, when people leave him and follow Jesus, he does not cling to attention or recognition. He speaks words that reveal a heart already trained in this Gospel. “My joy is complete.” His joy lies not in being first, but in seeing God’s plan fulfilled.
This Gospel speaks strongly to family life. Many parents sacrifice dreams so that children may grow. Many siblings live different paths, some visible and some hidden. If families do not learn to rejoice together, silent wounds begin to grow. But when love is strong, even unfulfilled dreams can become a place of grace.
As Advent draws to its close, the Church invites us to learn this quiet virtue: To wait without resentment and to rejoice without jealousy. To trust that God’s mercy works differently in each life, yet never without meaning
Lord Jesus , Let me find happiness in the success of others .
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