Feast of the Visitation, May 31, 2007

Scripture: Zephaniah 3:14-18a. or Romans 12:9-16. Psalm (Isaiah 12:2-6).
Luke 1:39-56: Lectionary #572:

Two first century women who are Jewish are blessed by the Lord with
pregnancy; the one, Mary, is from Nazareth and she is very young, possibly
thirteen. Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah a priest from Judea, is elderly
and was thought to be beyond the age of conceiving. It is Luke, the
Evangelist, who is narrating the beautiful scene as these women meet in
order to offer help, advice, and mutual caring through love and affection
as relatives who are fond of each other. Luke has both a theological and a
literary purpose in telling this story of the two faith-filled women who
trusted in the Lord and have conceived a child. The theological purpose is
to show the reader that the final stage of salvation history is dawning and
that the child of Mary will be the Savior while that of Elizabeth will be
the precursor of the Messiah. The literary perspective is to have a
dyptich of John the Baptist with his mother Elizabeth and his father
Zechariah on one panel of the literary painting and Mary, Jesus, and Joseph
on the other panel. The two women meet and embrace each other and exchange
blessings for what has happened to them and what is happening in their
embrace--the child in Elizabeth leaps in her womb; Jesus and John are
participating in the joy of their mothers but also in their destinies as
savior and precursor. In the Eastern Churches this event is called
"Hypapante" or the Meeting; in the West this is known as the Visitation of
Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. If we wish, we can easily eavesdrop on the
conversation of the two women as it is carefully narrated by the
artist-theologian Luke. We hear the words , "Blessed are you among women
and blessed is the fruit of your womb..." and how is it that the mother of
my Lord comes to me?" This praise of Mary by Elizabeth has never been
forgotten and prayed this day a million times throughout the world in those
praying the rosary or just saying a "Hail Mary." Nor is Mary silent. She
gives us one of the most beautiful canticles or psalms in the New Testament
that has become the Evening Prayer for all who pray Vespers in the Prayer
of the Church. We call this poem the "Magnificat" because Mary is saying
that she wants to magnify or give high praise to God who has fulfilled his
promises to Abraham and his descendants. The song is one of victorious
praise for God has looked graciously and mercifully upon the 'Anawim or the
poorest of his people and has put the arrogant and powerful and rich in
their places. The other readings for this feast support the main event by
telling us that God is within and among his people and that those who trust
in God's promises live lives of wholesome holiness. By praying the
Maginificat and slowly saying a Hail Mary we can experience some of the joy
of these beautiful models of faith, Mary and Elizabeth. The Entrance
Antiphon for this feast is :"Come, all you who fear God, and hear the great
things the Lord has done for me." And the Gospel Antiphon is, "Alleluia,
Alleluia, Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, for your firm believing that the
promises of the Lord would be fulfilled. Alleluia."