The Visitation

31 May

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.  (Lk 1:39-40)

 

All I can tell you is that is one heck of a hill!

Mary, pregnant with Jesus, went to visit Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist.

I never had an appreciation for that visit until I was able to go to the Holy Land and see for myself the landscape.  Elizabeth lived high on a hill and it was a very steep climb.  As I huffed and puffed up the hill, I could only imagine what it would have been like for Mary, who was already pregnant herself.

Yet, that did not stop Mary.  All she knew was that God had delivered a message telling her that Elizabeth, her kinswoman, was pregnant, even in her advanced age and Mary wanted to be there to help Elizabeth out.

Mary was always thinking of others, never of herself.

When Elizabeth greeted her — “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” — Mary immediately said, “No.  It’s not me that is important, it is God.  Blessed be God.”

Throughout the ages, whenever Mary has appeared at places such as Fatima or Lourdes, her message has not once been, “Look at me!”  No.  Her message has always been, “Listen to my Son.”

Mary cares for others.

In her care, she wants us to follow her Son for, she knows, it is only through Him that we shall be saved.

FAITH ACTION:  Read slowly and prayerfully reflect upon Mary’s Magnificat:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.