Gospel (Lk 1:39-47)

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 when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe 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 babe 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.”

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

Commentary

Mary travels with haste. Love is diligent; it overcomes laziness, worries and fatigue. Her journey through Judea is long and tiring, traversing more than a 100 km of mountainous terrain. And she would surely pass through Jerusalem, since Ein Karem was so close to the city of David, in order to worship God in his Temple while carrying Jesus in her breast. Mary’s heart overflows with joy as she walks, because she is carrying the Savior of the world and will share God’s wonderful deeds with her cousin Elizabeth, whom she loves dearly. At the Annunciation the angel didn’t tell Mary to go and visit Elizabeth; it is she who takes the initiative. How important it is that you and I have holy initiatives that give glory to God and assist others! You and I too are bearers of Christ and we need to show this to the world with initiatives that assist the action of the Holy Spirit in spreading God’s love around us.

Upon entering the house, Mary greets her cousin with the words “the peace of God be with you.” Elizabeth’s home is filled with a new joy, as the two mothers hug each other. Each carries in her womb the fruit of God’s merciful love. The Holy Spirit prompts Elizabeth to burst into praise and call Mary by her new name: Mother of the Lord. And the son Elizabeth is expecting leaps with joy in her womb. God wants to make himself known to the world through affection, through friendship.

Saint Luke doesn’t tell us that Saint Joseph was present, but it is easy to imagine him accompanying his Immaculate Spouse on that long journey. He too remains silent, amazed by Elizabeth’s words that express the mystery of the fullness of time, revealed to her by the Holy Spirit: the only begotten Son of God had become incarnate in the most pure womb of Mary. Saint Joseph would have often remembered that moment and contemplated it frequently, as though he were present and heard again Mary’s joyful greeting and the words of Elizabeth.