The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: The Mystery of the Joy

 Reflection on the Readings for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tuesday 31st May, 2022

Texts: Zephaniah 3: 14- 18a/Romans 12:9-16b; Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56

Today we celebrate the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth, her cousin. Today’s first reading sheds light on the mystery of the encounter of Blessed Virgin Mary with Elizabeth. It explains the mystery of the joy experienced by John and his mother. It shows that remission of sin was the cause of the joy. It is a kind of joy that comes from reconciliation with God and salvation. It is said, “Sing aloud, O daughter of Sion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has cast out your enemies.” There is a belief that John the Baptist was cleansed from original sin at the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The remission of sin should be a cause for joy. This joy is witnessed at confessional where sins are forgiven. We can now realise how much joy we miss when we shun confessional, when we do not make use of the sacrament of reconciliation.  

The firs reading also helps us to see the visitation as a divine visitation to Elizabeth. It was the Lord who stirred up the joy in the soul of John the Baptist. This is expressed thus: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival.” This tells us that God is the source of joy; the true joy comes from Him. Wherever there is God, joy abounds. Elizabeth and the Blessed Virgin Mary also experienced joy; God stirred up in their souls joy. Hence, in the gospel reading, the Blessed Virgin Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.” Elizabeth responded thus: “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. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us  Christian charity by her visitation to Elizabeth. The alternative reading for first reading focuses on this. It says, “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing  honour. Never flag in zeal, be a glow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.” When the Blessed Virgin Mary heard that Elizabeth was pregnant, she went to help her for the rest of the pregnancy period. It is said, “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ..... And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.”  

The Blessed Virgin Mary also fulfilled the words of Paul: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.” She visited Elizabeth not to mock her, ridicule her or cry for her but to rejoice with her for the gift of the fruit of the womb. We also see fulfilled in the Blessed Virgin Mary the admonition of Paul: “Rejoice in your hope”. In her we learn to rejoice in our hope, for she says, “and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour”. We should rejoice in God our Saviour, we should rejoice in our hope of eternal life, we should rejoice in the hope of resurrection.  

Almighty ever-living God, who while the Blessed Virgin Mary was carrying your Son in her womb, inspired her to visit Elizabeth; grant us, we pray, that, faithful to the promptings of the Spirit, we may magnify your greatness with the Virgin Mary at all times. Amen

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke