5/31/2016 – The visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-56

      The past few weeks, we have had a lot of special feast days in our liturgical calendar, even though we have returned to Ordinary Time.  These past two Sundays, we have celebrated the solemnities of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.  This upcoming Friday, we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  And today, on the last day of May, we celebrate the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Last Saturday, we had the funeral of Mike Reinhert here at St James.  The one request that his family had for music was that they wanted to have Ave Maria as a part of the funeral liturgy.   It is interesting that when I get questions from non-Catholics about the role Mary has in our life of faith, questioning why Mary has such an important role, it is indeed Mary whom we turn to our lives when we need consolation or encouragement.  We honor both Mary and Elizabeth in the event that is recorded in Scripture, of Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth after she learns from the angel about her cousin being with child.  The “Hail Mary” that so many Catholics pray each day combines the greeting of the Angel to Mary, “Hail, favored one, the Lord is with you!”  with the greeting of her cousin Elizabeth: ““Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”.  While these two women minister to each other in their need, while Mary and Elizabeth are both able to understand their situations, we might wonder if Mary would have been able to pray and to proclaim the words of the Magnificat in the way that she does if Elizabeth had not recognized the way that she was blessed and if had not proclaimed that blessedness to her.  There are times on our journey when we particularly feel that we are at the end of our rope and that we cannot it on our own.  We might need to receive some spiritual hospitality and spiritual encouragement like Mary and Elizabeth provided to each other.  That might be what we exactly need.  However, we, in turn, need to practice that same kind of spiritual hospitality and warmth toward others.   Sometimes we can so be caught up in our own world, we might not realize how we can be of spiritual service to those around us.  Even when we are struggling or overwhelmed or self-absorbed, we can ask for the gifts of humility or contrition or fortitude from the Holy Spirit.  Thank Blessed Mother and St Elizabeth for the examples of faith you are for us.