Word to the Wise
Friday, May 31, 2013 - May 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
[Zeph 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16 and Luke 1:39-56]When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb....!"
This wonderful scene reminds me of a rich medieval tapestry. There is the event being portrayed but it is composed of a rich intertwining of threads and colors. This invites the viewer to step back and see the big picture and then come forward to see how the various threads compose the scene.
Elements of the "big picture" are found in the mention of the Holy Spirit in Elizabeth which enables her to recognize that even though her own pregnancy (with John the Baptist) is miraculous, the child in Mary is even greater. The Holy Spirit is a main feature of the Gospel of Luke, and Elizabeth experiences her own "Pentecost!" Mary's response to Elizabeth's greeting, known as the Magnificat, draws a broad picture of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Elements of the details are to be found in all the threads that come from the Old Testament. The Magnificat, for example, seems to be a collage of sayings from prophetic sources. Elizabeth and Mary both have predecessors in Sarah and Hannah and Samson's mother. We can note, too, that Elizabeth's words are enshrined in the second line of the first part of the "Hail Mary," one of the most familiar of our Catholic prayers!
Last but not least, and certainly more to the experience of the Moms in my Beloved Congregation, there is the understanding that passes between the two expectant women! All I can do is mention that and leave it to the Moms to understand! Enjoy the tapestry and the skill of the artist, Luke, in giving us this rich experience of God's Word and human participation in it! AMEN