Visitation of the BVM, Monday, May 31
Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16 / Luke 1:39-56
Mary sings of God's goodness; "The Lord has exalted my lowliness. "
Amado Nervo was a Mexican mystic and poet who died in 1919.
One of his poems captures the spirit of Mary's song in today's reading. He wrote: "I'm only a spark, Make me a fire. I'm only a string, Make me a lyre. "I'm only an ant-hill, Make me a mountain. I'm only a drop, Make me a fountain. "I'm only a feather, Make me a wing. I'm only a beggar, Make me a king."***
How convinced are we that our life can be truly great if we give it to Christ? in If we can't do big things, we can at least do-little things in a big way.
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Luke presents Mary as the Ark of the Covenant coming to Jerusalem to show that God is present among his people to bring them joy. This is why the child leaps (that is, dances for joy) in Elizabeth’s womb. With Christ, God comes to live not in a temple of stone but in the hearts of people. Through Christ living in Mary God’s victory over evil has begun. A person in whom Christ lives – a Christ-bearer, a Christopher – brings Christ to others, and with Christ, joy and love.
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It is the Canticle of Hannah, mother of Samuel, and it is the source on which Mary’s Magnificat is based. Mary is shaped, you might say, by the best of the Old Testament. But she is also a figure looking to the future. She is an image of the new community, the Church. That is a community where the topsy-turvy logic of the Gospel is intended to hold sway: the first is the last, the weak is the strong, the greatest is the least, the poorest is the richest, the lowest is the highest.... “God has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly.” But when we look at the Church—at ourselves—sadly, we see that we live mostly by straightforward logic: power and privilege, palaces, badges and titles of honor....
Mary, the greatest revolutionary figure, still has many revolutions to accomplish.
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This feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is an event that is recorded only in the gospel of Luke. In the Visitation, Mary made the journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Certainly many reflections and meditations can be made out of this gospel event.
The second decade of the Joyful mystery of the Rosary also meditates and reflects on this event. Indeed, there are many meditations and reflections that can come about - humility of Mary; selflessness and service of Mary; the power of divine grace in Mary and Elizabeth; Yet the word "visitation" is not just confined to this event between Mary and Elizabeth.
The gospel of Luke begins the story of salvation as a visit from God to His people. When Zachariah's dumbness was lifted, he began his canticle with these words: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; He has visited His people and redeemed them. So God's gift of salvation begins with a visit - He visited Zachariah; He visited Mary; He visited Elizabeth; He visited Joseph.
And the Lord our God continues to visit His people in every age and time. And as we celebrate this feast of the Visitation, the Lord our God also comes to visit us. May we experience the saving love of God in our anxieties and worries, in our troubles and difficulties. And just as John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother's womb, may our hearts leap for joy in this Eucharist and thank the Lord for coming to our help and showing us His mercy.
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Prayer
Lord our God, loving Father, Mary went with haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth in her hour of need. May we too rejoice in the Lord when we can hurry to see people to bring them the Lord as we to share in their needs and their joys. With Mary, may we become a blessing to them. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
