THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Tuesday of the 7th week of Easter, 2022 

Zeph 3:14-18

(Ps) Isa 12

Luke 1:39-56

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed Are You

Dear friends in Christ, today we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to end the May devotion. The favour of God comes most times as a surprise. It takes a grateful heart to acknowledge such gifts. There are those who take it for granted and act as if it is a result of the efforts they have made. Yet, when you look around you, there are people who have prayed harder and worked harder than yourself and still did not get such a favour. Elizabeth sang a hymn of praise at Mary’s visit and Mary praised God for his blessings saying, “My Soul Magnifies the Lord.”

Our first reading today comes from Zephaniah 3:14-18. The prophet calls for a rejoicing because of God’s gift, “Sing aloud, O daughter of Sion; Shout O Israel!…The Lord has taken away judgements against you, he has cast out your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more.” God has always been with his people, but this prophet sees a new kind of that presence. The Church sees the conception (incarnation) of Jesus as this special presence of God among his people. The first manifestation of this outside of the immediate family home, was in the visitation to Elizabeth, which today’s feast celebrates.

The Church celebrates Mary because God chose her and honoured her first. In today’s Gospel (Luke 1:39-56) Elizabeth had an encounter with Mary and through her with Jesus and she exclaimed, “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?” No one worships Mary. Who am I, not to honour her? We must give honour to whom it is due. God honoured her first, by making her the mother of Jesus. We believe Jesus is God and so she is the Mother of God. Jesus handed her to the Church as Mother and so she is my mother too. I have in her a loving mother, what about you?

Let us Pray: Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus, Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen. 

+Remain blessed