Gospel
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
LK 1:39-56
Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
And Mary said,“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,
and 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 forever.”
And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
Gospel citations come from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Reflection
Caitlin Shaughnessy Dwyer ‘06
We receive the words of this Gospel on the beautiful feast of the Visitation, a fitting end to Mary’s month. This story immediately follows the Annunciation: Mary has just encountered the angel Gabriel, agreed to be the mother of Jesus, and conceived him in her womb. For a young teenager in any era, this is earth-shattering, life-altering news. What is Mary’s next step? She goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth “with haste.”
“With haste”—these words have always spoken to me of Mary’s selflessness and generosity: she does not think of herself but immediately departs to care for her older cousin at the end of her pregnancy.
But these words also reveal Mary’s incredible faith. She instantly and completely believes the word of God. She easily could have allowed herself to turn inward, to be overcome by anxiety and fear, wallowing in worries over what might lay ahead for her—from morning sickness and rejection by Joseph to perhaps even death by stoning. She could have doubted and waited for God to prove this word to her.
I know this is often my response to life’s twists and turns, such as job changes, sicknesses, deaths, and births. Rather than viewing them as unexpected opportunities to witness to the faith, I become caught up worrying about how it can all possibly work out. Where will the time, energy, money, and wisdom come from to do what is being asked?
Mary, despite the gravity of what has been asked of her, has total faith in God’s providence. She goes out with haste to Elizabeth and proclaims her joy in one of the most beautiful hymns in Scripture: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.”
Elizabeth spoke well, saying, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Dear Mother Mary, pray for us, that we may trust as you trusted, that we might believe as you believed.
Prayer
Father Brad Metz, CSC
God of compassion and strength, visit us and give us the hope of your Spirit dwelling within and around us. Help us to trust in the relationships of our lives that reveal to us your abiding love and lasting peace. Enliven us to always trust in your presence, especially when we embrace our brothers and sisters in joy, as did Mary and Elizabeth. Grant this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
Saint
On this feast of the Visitation, let us join Mary and Elizabeth to proclaim the greatness of God!
View SaintOn this feast of the Visitation, let us join Mary and Elizabeth to proclaim the greatness of God!
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