May 31, 2011
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Romans 12:12-15
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Luke 1:41-44
Piety
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”
Study
How does this happen? How does a young girl living in ancient and impoverished Palestine carry the Lord in her womb? How does her cousin and her cousin's growing yet embryonic Son recognize what will happen in just a few weeks?
Elizabeth and John had no Gospels to study. They did not have two thousand years of sacred tradition passed on to them. They did not have the teachings of the Magisterium. But they knew in their hearts who was in their presence when a very pregnant Mary walked into their house.
Mary knew that the Lord "has looked with favor on the lowly." Her words and deeds are passed on to as a model for us to imitate in our life through faith. Because we may never know how Mary Elizabeth and John recognized who was in their midst. That's why we call it a Joyful Mystery.
Action
How do we imitate Mary? Our first reading from Romans gives us some pointers. Maybe we can rename Romans 12 "All I Ever Need to Know About How to Live I Learned from Romans 12." Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
Calendar coincidences no longer surprise me. Today our civil-religion marks Memorial Day while the Church celebrates the Visitation by Mary. How can you combined the ideals of these two celebrations in your actions today?
Rolling Thunder comes to mind. Every year on this weekend, these vets and their motorcycles visit the Vietnam War "Wall" as a way to honor their fallen and missing comrades.
Some will use this holiday to visit the cemetery where a loved one is buried. Others may just pick up the phone and call a relative.
As we do this, keep in mind the humility of Mary as you carry out your actions on this Memorial Day/Feast of the Visitation.
