Word to the Wise
Monday, May 31, 2021 - May 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
[Zeph 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16 and Luke 1:39-56]"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." [Luke]
The story of the Visitation is like a rich meal. It doesn't matter which place you start because it will all be good. On a purely physical/psychological level, the effort made by Mary to travel into the hill country with the newly-conceived Jesus inside her to visit her six-month pregnant aging cousin could give any number of women something to think about! Mary did not travel by plane, car, train, etc.. The "sisterhood" of pregnancy, especially unexpected pregnancy on the part of both women, comes into play!
On a more theological level, one might point out that it isn't just Mary visiting Elizabeth but Jesus visiting John the Baptist as well. Indeed, that foreshadows the beginning of Jesus' public ministry! Then, there is the comparison implied in the words, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." Elizabeth's husband, Zechariah, did not believe the message of the angel that Elizabeth and he would have a child and was struck dumb ("muted" in our present digital lingo) until the naming ceremony! Mary is presented as the one who did believe.
To reinforce the idea of prophetic fulfillment, the canticles of Mary (the "Magnificat") and Zechariah (the "Benedictus") are given. The latter appears after the former in the same chapter. So, the rich food of the story beckons on many different levels for our reflection. Dig in! AMEN