The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy has a beautiful story about a cobbler – shoe maker – Martin, who lives in Tolstoy’s own native village.  In this story, Tolstoy develops the themes of grief, doubt, struggle, hope and connection. The old cobler Martin has lost his wife and children and is struggling with grief and trying to understand what God wants from him. Martin is a very good man, and he goes out of his way to help other people and he realises that so many people are not as fortunate as he is. Martin  was a very good man, a very kind man and he loves Jesus,  and he hoped to meet Jesus one day. Its Christmas Eve and he hears the voice of Jesus saying:  I will come to visit you tomorrow.  He was so happy;  so he went to bed, full of happiness, knowing that Jesus would come tomorrow. On Christmtas day, he was very eager to meet Jesus. As he was looking out his window, he saw a soldier working in the snow.  He was weak and tired and very cold. Martin invited him inside and offered him something warm to drink and a piece of christmas cake; and then he waited.  But Jesus did not come.  At midday he looked out again, and now he saw a mother with a little baby.  She was very poor and she  had nothing to eat for herself or for the baby. So the shoemaker took some coins from his money box;   he went out and gave them to the woman; she was very happy. He went back and waited and Jesus did not come.  Late in the afternoon, he saw a little boy  stealing apples from a lady who was selling fruit.  He went outside, and he payed for the apples and he told the boy not to steal again, and to be honest.  Then he went back inside and waited and Jesus did not come.  Late in the evening, he went to bed, very disappointed,  and very sad; but he had a dream,  and there he saw the soldier, the lady and the little boy and they were all smiling, and they all thanked him.  And he heard the voice of Jesus saying: I came to see you three times today, thank you for being so kind and charitable.  In this story, there is a lesson for us.  Jesus comes to visit us many times every day; especially those who are in need and when we are kind to them, we are kind to him.  In today’s gospel, we read about the visitation, when Mary comes to visit her cousin Elizabeth.  Mary is a messenger of hope, peace and joy  She enters Elizabeth’s house with a song, a beautiful song, The Magnificat. In this song, she procalimns  the birht of a new world, a kingdom of justice and peace, kingdom of kindness and joy. When we contemplate this scene, where Mary visits Elizabeth,  we can ask ourselves, what kind of visitor am I when I encounter people during the day?. Do  I bring joy, good news, happinness and peace; and when I leave, have I left people happier, joyful and  more hopeful and optimisitc than when I came. It is the meeting of two mothers and of two children, who are not yet born. John jumped for joy, when he feels that Jesus is close.  For all of us now, the birth of Jesus is very close. Let us ask now for the grace to recognise him, to find him especially in those people who are in need; just lke the old shoemaker Martin in Tolstoy’s