“The Visitation of the BVM”
©2013 James Dacey, Jr. OFS
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
(2nd Joyful Mystery)
Luke 1:39-56 “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever." And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.”
My Friends,
Today’s gospel is Luke 1:39-56 (Visitation / Canticle of Mary). Mary not only said yes, and trusted so unquestionably in God’s request, His Will for Mary; but that faith built the foundational block that brought our Lord to us through her womb. So many people have little respect for our Blessed Mother, I just can't comprehend their lack of it. Mary basically gave up her life completely and she did what God had asked of her and most importantly Mary never pursued her own desires, hobbies or interests. Obviously, only to some degree I guess I can say that. But let's face it, she couldn't have a public life, she couldn't boldly do things; lest she risk sharing her pregnancy. So her life was hidden for the most part, with the main objective to raise and love her Son. To help Him grow strong for what was ahead.
We'll never know the full heart and mind of Mary, but we do see and understand the sacrificial life she had. Her faith is such an example for anyone who believes in Jesus. For it was through Mary that Jesus came into this world and into our lives. Jesus didn't magically appear one day, and then Mary and Joseph stopped by the local hospital and adopted Him. No, God through the power of the Holy Spirit touched Mary's heart and she said “Yes” when the Angel Gabriel approached her at the Annunciation. We all know that if God asks you and you say no, He will find the heart that will say Yes to His will. But regardless to the fact that she could have said no, she didn't, instead she said yes. A choice that would change her life and ours for all eternity. Mary's mission ultimately became the first mission to believe solidly in God's will for Jesus in this world. The Holy Spirit is simply amazing, I know first-hand how powerful and genuine and impressionable the Holy Spirit is in one’s life. We just have to be open and be ready for the Holy Spirit to work miracles in our lives. It's not always easy to understand it all, but honestly I don't think we have to. That's where our faith and trust must come into all aspects of our lives.
Everywhere Mary went the Holy Spirit touched others. The Visitation in today's gospel tells us, "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" verse 41. This is a little bizarre but I guess that's what makes my blogs interesting at times. Remember "Mary Had a Little Lamb", bear with me for a moment, my mind has so many weird, useless things stored in it. LOL. I want you to think about this part of that for just a moment. "Everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go." Oh Lord does that not resonate to the full meaning and purpose Mary has been in our lives. To me that means if you are "into Mary" Jesus will surely be there; point being that you go to her to get to Him. Absolutely exciting joyful incredible news pondering that simple thought. Our faith can be as complicated as we so desire it to be; or we can keep it simple and to the point and spend all of our time loving Him. I prefer the simple life, of loving and worshiping my Lord while I adore and love His mother.
Mary is our role model, our Lord's Blessed Mother, and our mother. Let us embrace her and with the same faith in the same Holy Spirit as she had. Would we do what she did? Do we have that kind of courage and faith that she had? I really doubt it, yes we can say yes now, because of everything we know; but what about back then, Mary risked her life by saying yes. She didn't just say yes, because she had to, she didn't say yes, because she was told to; she said yes, because of her faith and trust in God's will for her in her life. She knew better than we could ever know now, the risk of an unmarried woman being pregnant in her time. She could have been stoned to death. Instead of worrying about her own selfishness in this life, she risked everything to fulfill God's will to bring to us our Savior. We really should be forever indebted to her for living such a life of sacrifice as she did. Just think of it this way, do we not love the priests and churches and the people in our communities who bring Jesus to us each week at Mass? Of cause we do. Now on that same thought, it was Mary who brought Him to us first, let us love her also. Trust in our Lord to guide your heart to loving her, simply pray, "Jesus, I trust in You".
Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS
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