“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
THURSDAY, March 25th Lk. 1: 26-38 SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION… Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
- The Annunciation heralds the turning point in world history which we know as B.C. – before Christ, and A.D. – Anno Domini, Latin for “in the year of the Lord” or the year Jesus was born. You cannot speak about one without referencing the other!
- In the same way, the Annunciation cannot be separated from the Visitation! The Angel announces to Mary that by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit she is to be the Mother of the Son of God, and Mary gives the Angel her fiat, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word”.
- Then Mary goes in haste to help her older cousin Elizabeth in the hill country, for she who was barren is in her sixth month of pregnancy!
- Listen to Elizabeth’s greeting. In a loud voice she exclaims: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the word the Lord spoke to her would be fulfilled!”
- Do we go in haste to bring the good news to others??? Let Mary’s story inspire us!
Part 1: On the Annunciation and Mary’s “fiat”… by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Part 2: 10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
On the Annunciation and Mary’s “fiat”… by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
(Note: This homily excerpt of St. Bernard is in the Office of Readings for December 20, the fourth week of Advent.)
You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.
The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.
Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.
Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.
Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.
10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… By: Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Mary is model, teacher, guide, inspiration, life, sweetness and hope to all to raise their eyes to her with love. In the beautiful prayer of Saint Bernard, the Memorare, we pray with confidence: “Remember, O gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection was left unaided.”
May is the month of Mary and it concludes with one of the most beautiful Marian Feast days—the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth. Many superb spiritual lessons can be learned from this Marian gem, which also is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Let us descend into this “Spiritual Gold Mine” and grab on to the excellent treasures.
1. CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION. The last part of the prior mystery—the Annunciation/Incarnation— ends with Mary’s “Fiat”— that is to say, Mary’s Yes to God. The exact words are: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” In that moment, one of the most sublime moments in the history of the world took place: the Incarnation of the Son of God. That is to say, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity descended from His heavenly throne and became Incarnate (man) in the most pure womb of the Virgin Mary! In rapt awe, we humbly adore this sublime mystery!
2. COMMUNION AND FRATERNAL CHARITY. Mary did not keep the “Gift” of Jesus to herself, but went in haste to share the gift with others. She started an 80 kilometer journey, traveling uphill to Ain Karim to visit her cousin Elizabeth and help her in her need. Pope Benedict XVI in his Apostolic Exhortation “Sacramentum Caritatis” insists that Mass and Holy Communion must transform us into ardent missionaries who bring the Good News of Jesus to the whole world!
3. IN HASTE. Mary did not procrastinate, put off, delay, make excuses, rationalize, or justify postponing her trip; rather, she followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and moved immediately. Lesson! Upon receiving good inspirations from the Holy Spirit, we should be both docile and prompt to respond!
4. TRAVEL WITH MARY AND TALK TO HER. Enter into an Ignatian contemplative scene and imagine traveling with Mary. Notice her joy, her quick pace, her awareness of Jesus within her, her determination to carry out God’s will despite the possible obstacles—all of these make up your long trek to Ain Karim with Mary. Admire her majesty, but also be inspired by her humility and simplicity. During this long journey together, open up your heart and talk to Mary about what is going on in your life. Why not even tell her what is most heavy on your heart! Mary is the best of listeners!
5. EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION. Remember! The little Jesus is already present in the womb of Mary. Therefore, as you travel remember that this indeed is a “Eucharistic Procession” — a Corpus Christi procession! Mary always wants to draw us closer to Jesus! Her last words at the wedding Feast of Cana were: “Do whatever He tells you!” (Jn. 2:5) Great advice! Beg for the grace to have a greater faith, love, and devotion towards Jesus truly present in the Eucharist!
6. JOY! This is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Being with Jesus and Mary is our true and authentic source of joy. Mary’s canticle, her Magnificat, emphasizes this truth: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Lk. 1:46-47) May we always seek joy in this authentic source: JESUS, THE LORD!
7. GREETING! Most likely Mary greeted Elizabeth with the typical Jewish greeting, SHALOM— peace be with you! Our homes, families, communities, parishes, groups, and activities, should be characterized by a “Shalom” atmosphere. A warm, welcoming and inviting milieu should be created. An essential note of apostolic effectiveness is that of creating this warm and welcoming environment. Mary teaches us this by her greeting!
8. BABY JOHN LEAPS FOR JOY! At the sound of Mary’s greeting the infant John leaps for joy in the womb of Saint Elizabeth! What is happening here? Jesus, even before being born, is acting as Redeemer by freeing His cousin John from the bond of Original Sin. Message! Contact with Jesus and Mary through prayer will undoubtedly serve as a powerful means to diminish the grip of sin on us, and eventually shatter the binding force and slavery of sin in our lives. Sin indeed is slavery; Jesus and Mary came to give us true freedom, the freedom of the sons and daughters of God! “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
9. PRO-LIFE PASSAGE “PAR EXCELLENCE!” Both of these women in the modern society could be candidates for abortion. Why? One was very young, Mary; whereas, the other was very old, Elizabeth. However, both women had infinite trust in God’s Divine Providence! Because of this trust, Elizabeth gave birth to the great Saint John the Baptist, and Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son Of God! At all times, in our meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, may we be staunch defenders of human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. God is the author and origin of life and He alone has the right to take life to Himself!
10. MARY AND ACTIVE SERVICE. Love for God cannot limit itself to words, but must manifest itself in actions, in service, in seeing Jesus truly present in others! Not only did Mary greet Elizabeth, but she also actively served her aged and pregnant cousin in her need! With a little bit of imagination (Ignatian Contemplation), we can picture Mary and accompany her in active service!
What might be some of the activities that Mary carried out with joy and love? Walking to the well to get water— no running water back then! Sweeping the dust and dirt from their humble home—no vacuum cleaners 2000 years ago! Washing and hanging clothes out to dry— no expensive washing machine and dryer to quicken the work. Cooking and baking in preparation for the meals, setting the table, washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen after eating—there was no take-out Burger King, Pizza-Hut, or KFC available! Nor were there overflowing refrigerators to be emptied of the waste every week!
All of these humble, domestic chores Mary would have carried out with the greatest love and attention to assist her cousin Elizabeth. Remember! Holiness does not depend on the greatness of the act, but on the great love that accompanies every action— even if it appears to be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world. The secret of the sanctity of Saint Therese, and of Mary in the mystery of the Visitation, is to do the ordinary things of daily life with extraordinary love! That is sanctity!
In conclusion, let us contemplate the life, words, gestures, and actions of Mary, most holy, especially in the Mystery of the Visitation, and be motivated to transfer our contemplative life into active service of our brothers and sisters, who are really Jesus Christ!
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” (Mt. 24: 45)
