The
feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary to her cousin St. Elizabeth
was established throughout the Church in the thirteenth or fourteenth
century.
When the Archangel Gabriel announced to the Blessed
Virgin Mary that she would bear the Son of God, he also told her of her
cousin’s miraculous pregnancy. We read in Luke 1:39-40 “…And Mary rising
up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of
Juda. And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.”
At
Mary's greeting, Elizabeth felt her six-month baby leap in her womb and
exclaimed filled with the Holy Ghost: “Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the
mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold as soon as the voice of
thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for
joy.” Luke 1:42-44
The first part of Elizabeth’s salutation forms
the second sentence of the Hail Mary. Mary, in turn, overflowing with
joy and gratitude for her election, responds with the prayer of the
Magnificat.
Elizabeth’s salutation to Mary as “Blessed…among
women” and “mother of my Lord” can be viewed as the first expression of
the Church’s devotion to Mary as the exalted handmaid of the Lord, and
true mother of God made man.
Monday, May 31, 2021
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment