The Visitation of Mary 31st May 2016
“Mary set out at that time and wet as quickly as she could into the hill country to a town in Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now It happened that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ’Of all women you are the most blessed and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Just after the Annunciation, Mary leaves in haste to be of service to her cousin Elizabeth. Without any words, Mary gives us the example of the Christian attitude to take. She thinks of Elizabeth and Zachariah who are elderly and who would surely be in need of help before John the Baptist’s birth.
Mary’s example reminds us to hasten to help our brothers and how to be our brothers’ ’keepers’.
By her silence and presence, Mary is a Living Word of God.
’How is it that the mother of my Lord come to me?’
’For as soon as your greeting reached my ears the child jumped with joy in my womb. Blessed is she who believed what was told her from the Lord and would be accomplished!’
Mary’s greeting to her cousin Elisabeth is a channel of God’s Presence.
Mary bears in her flesh Jesus, she bears God and announces Him.The prophet of the One she bears, trembles with happiness in her Presence.
In contemplating the Virgin Mary, we give thanks to God for our Christian vocation which is to give God’s presence through our life!
And Mary said : ’My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.“Although the Angel’s announcement had taken Mary into herself, and placed her into a place of secret where she couldn’t say anything to Joseph, Mary exclaims : ’My soul magnifies the Lord”
Mary is a woman of faith, who perceives God’s marvels amidst any difficulties. Mary shows us how to raise our gaze above the clouds and to contemplate the sun that continues to brightly shine.
The joy of the woman is her Lord, what a sublime dignity for her, she finds all her Joy in her Lord. The Immaculate One presents herself as the servant of the Lord, gives ’ a body’ to the Church, to the woman’s mission. Every woman who looks to Mary finds in her the necessary model for her vocation : ’All generations will call me blessed!’ The Church will take this Word of Elizabeth in her prayer.
"He has filled the starving with good things, sent the rich away empty. He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his faithful love-according to the promise he made to our ancestors-of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Thank you Jesus for having given Mary to us, for she is an example for us, a guide, a mother. May we be attentive to God and to others. Give us a heart that is capable of recognising your Divine Providence in the midst of all our difficulties.
Jesus, born of Mary, is given to us in the Sacraments that bring about the Salvation of the world. He will choose the Apostles to accomplish this mystery of Salvation for humanity.
Jesus who is made present amongst us is received after Mary by humanity. Later on He will say : ’Who is my mother, who are my brothers? It is they who do the will of my Father."
On this feast of the Visitation of Mary we rejoice in her cousin Elizabeth and with her we wish to say : ’All generations will call me blessed.’