31 May 2019 - Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth - Luke 1:39-56

    Easter is late this year, so usually, when we celebrate the feast of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, we have already finished the Easter season.   You can imagine, that as a Catholic priest in a mostly Evangelical culture here in Mississippi, 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 Catholics often turn to their lives when they need consolation or encouragement.  We honor both Mary and Elizabeth in this event that is recorded in Scripture, of Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth after Mary learns from the angel about the upcoming birth of Jesus and about her cousin being with child as well.  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 and reach out 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 she 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 in their encounter.  That might be what we exactly need.  However, we, likewise, need to bring that same kind of spiritual hospitality and warmth to 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.  May we thank our Blessed Mother and St Elizabeth for the examples of faith they are for us.