The Visitation of Mary to her cousin
Elizabeth is one of the key stories told regarding the birth of Jesus in the
New Testament. Not only does this Gospel
story recount how Elizabeth perceives Mary as being the Mother of the Lord, but
we also hear Mary sing the Magnificat, a message that contains many of the main
values of the Good News that Jesus will proclaim in his ministry here on earth.
In the Visitation of Mary, we see two
women visit each other and minister to each other. These two women will soon give birth to two
babies who will change not only their lives, but their births will change the
world. Mary and Elizabeth are bound
together in a way that goes way beyond their place and time in Ancient
Israel. The Visitation captures a
particular moment in time, but it is an event that is universal in meaning.
Just as Mary went to her cousin
Elizabeth to be with her and to help her, Mary is with us in our lives in so
many different ways. She is the
Sorrowful Mother who understands the sacrifice and sorrows that we experience
in our lives. She is our Mother who
celebrates our joys, who encourages us on our journey, who helps us get back on
track when we stray. Mary is the Mother
of our Lord who listens to our prayers and presents them to her Son.
As we celebrate Mary today and her
Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, we are called to never forget that Mary is
always at our side.
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