May 31: The Feast of the Visitation
of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth
Read the Gospel for this Feast
if you can: Luke 1:39-51.
On this day we recall that
wonderful meeting of four people: Mary and Elizabeth, and Jesus Christ and St.
John the Baptist. Jesus and John are in the womb yet they still seem to
communicate, and the communication is filled with joy as John leaps in his
mother’s womb.
Among other things, this
encounter demonstrates to us that what is in the womb is a viable human being capable
of feeling and emotion. I’ll leave that for you to consider at another time.
The Holy Spirit is also present
at this meeting and is mentioned in the Gospel text. The Holy Spirit is present
in us also, at every moment, whether we are conscious of Him or not. “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father!’ (Gal 4:6). In the text, the Spirit inspires
Elizabeth to call out “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb.” And there we have the first half of our beloved prayer Hail Mary.
Mary responds to Elizabeth in
joy and what bursts forth from her lips are the verses of the prayer we call
the Magnificat, which the Church prays at Vespers every night.
Mary’s prayer is revolutionary.
The normal pattern of the world is turned upside down, and what Mary has to say
has most likely inspired Pope Francis in some of his teaching about caring for
the poor and downtrodden. Consider the revolutionary terms of the Magnificat:
·
the proud are scattered in their conceit
·
the mighty are cast from their thrones
·
the lowly are lifted up
·
the hungry are fed
·
the rich are sent away empty
The prayer is prophetic.
Not all of this has been accomplished yet, but it is part of what we hope for
and continually pray for.
My most favorite part of the
Magnificat are the first two phrases:
·
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
·
my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
Every night, these verses lift
me up and serve as a reminder that in all times and in all places, we are to
give thanks to God. Some nights I might not be in a very good mood. Some nights
I might be distracted, or hurting from some slight, or are angry about some
trivial thing and I’m just going through the motions, so to speak. These lines
interrupt my negative thinking and like a burst of lightning, they banish my
darkness, and I beging to rejoice with the Blessed Mother and also rejoice in
the Holy Spirit.
Let these verses penetrate your
heart. Sit quietly for a few moments and repeat them to yourself over and over,
as a mantra. You may find a smile in your heart and spirit which will
eventually rise to your face. Rejoice!
God bless you!
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