The Visitation Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

 Reflection on Today's Readings, The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,   Year B, Monday 31st May, 2021
Texts: Zeph. 3:14-18a; Ps. 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56
Today we celebrate the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. The readings selected for the celebration imprint on our minds the dawning of salvation in the Blessed Virgin Mary. With the incarnation of the Son of God in the Blessed Virgin Mary, the new era of salvation in Jesus Christ has begun; for God is already in our midst.
The gospel reading shows Blessed Virgin Mary is the medium of divine encounter, for the Son of God dwells in her. This is clear in the experience of Elizabeth when Blessed Virgin Mary visited her. It is said, "And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy'." The account reminds us that blessing comes with faith in the promise and work of God. Elizabeth says, "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord". Hence, today's celebration invites us to have faith in the promise and works of God.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, in her response, invites us to magnify the Lord for His goodness to us. She says, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden." It should not be our mouth alone that praise the Lord but most importantly our souls. It means our acknowledgement of God's deeds must come from within, it must be sincere, our souls must turn to God. It is when the soul turns to God in obedience that it magnifies God. The soul magnifies the Lord because it has witnessed His goodness and has come to acknowledge and surrender to His authority.
The Blessed Virgin Mary also reminds us that it is the Lord's deeds that make us blessed. What is it that is the reason for one's success and greatness! That quality in a person's life that earned him greatness and admiration of many, he owes to God. Such quality might be singing, writing, dancing, speaking, a kind of virtues, strength or power; it is the Lord's doing. God enables those qualities in us not because we deserve them but out of His mercy He has given them to us. Blessed Virgin Mary says, "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation."
The Blessed Virgin Mary also shows that the presence of God brings the reversal of the state of things. She says, "He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away." This is just like saying the first will become the last and the last will become the first.  This tells us that God has the interest of the lowly ones at heart, He has not forgotten the oppressed, He has not abandoned the hungry.
Today's first reading tells us that God's presence in our midst brings deliverance from the enemies, banish fear, brings victory and joy. This tells us that what we need in our lives is the presence of God. To make God present in our lives, we have to embrace holiness and love. Let us love and be holy.

Lord Jesus, You are always present to us, help us to be always present to You. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke