Today is Feast of the Visitation. Its such a joyful day. Our Lady and Elizabeth give great examples. And my wife and I have the joy of celebrating our "baby" birthday today. 24 now! Please pray birthday blessings upon Peter! Peace SILENT PRAYER “Thereupon Mary set out, proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah.” —Luke 1:39 The silence at the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth must have been deafening and deadening. The elderly Elizabeth was carrying her first child. Her husband had been struck mute ever since the child was conceived. He had not said a word for six months. Elizabeth asked the Lord for His help. The Lord sent Mary as the answer to Elizabeth’s silent prayer. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice” (Lk 1:41-42). The silence was broken. Elizabeth prophesied (Lk 1:42); Mary sang God’s praises and proclaimed “the greatness of the Lord” (Lk 1:46). They shouted for joy, sang joyfully, and exulted with all their hearts (Zep 3:14). Three months later, at the baby’s circumcision, even Zechariah joined the chorus. “His mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God” (Lk 1:64). When Mary makes a visit, “all heaven breaks loose.” The silence gives way to shouts of praise. Ask Mary to visit you today. Prayer: Jesus, send Your mother Mary to mother me and lift me from discouragement and sadness to joy and praise. Promise: “He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” —Zep 3:17-18 Praise: Miranda was nervous about establishing a relationship with the Blessed Mother. She prayed the rosary a little each day and soon found herself swept away in a special sense of peace.
How beutiful! Mary never fails us! Thank you for this meditation as well. I have asked the Blessed Mother to visit my estranged son.
From Morning Prayer: Concluding Prayer 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. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen.
I loved the homily i heard at Mass today. Father said this Marian feast can be overlooked compared to the other ones. But, he said, it is so central to our Christian calling. Mary brought Jesus with joy to Elizabeth and she recognized and received Him with joy. We need to follow these examples- at times we need to bring Jesus through our witness and action with great joy to others. And at tines we need to be open to and aware that others bring Jesus to us. And we need to like John - leap with joy and like Elizabeth sing praise. God is so good. Its so big - really incomprehensible that the Creator of all would humble himself to become human save sin.
What can I say about the richness of the Scriptures, but I too have to agree that Luke 1, with both the Annunciation and Visitation, are up in my top ten chapters!
