Word to the Wise
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 - May 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
[Zeph 3:14-18a or Rom 12:9-16 and Luke 1:39-56,]The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his life. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals. [Zephaniah] "For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy......" 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." [Luke]
The feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated with a careful eye on the gestation calendar! The angel Gabriel mentioned that Elizabeth was six months pregnant and the account in today's gospel ends with the lines: "Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home." Given the nature of travel in those days, one cannot help but marvel at Mary's endurance, especially since, in addition, she was nine months along when she traveled to Bethlehem and gave birth, and then had to flee to Egypt! Despite the challenges, the emphasis in this feast is on joy - Elizabeth's joy, Mary's joy, and the gestating John the Baptist's joy!!! Mary's reply to Elizabeth's greeting is traditionally known as "the Magnificat" and it is repeated every day at Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. And, to add to all this, whenever the traditional "joyful mysteries" of the rosary are recited, the Visitation is the second mystery.
Amidst all this joy is an important line that is at the bottom of all the joy: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." Zephaniah's prophecy can be seen as a prefigurement of all of this: The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love... Faith in the God of promises, which were fulfilled in the incarnation of Jesus, is the gateway to joy. AMEN