Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
TUESDAY, Dec. 21st Lk. 1:39-45 “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
REFLECTION:
Mary’s life on earth was not easy, but by giving her unconditional Yes to God this humble Virgin became the Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and Mother of us all!
Our lives are not easy, each one of us have our own crosses to carry. But the Lord has spoken to us as well: “Be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty Savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love. He will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” (Zeph 3:17)
Let us then learn how to live and love as Mary did—where we are planted with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, that is serving all those we encounter in our daily life with peace and joy. For we have a Savior. He has called us each by name and we belong to Him! Now and for eternity!
10 BEAUTIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE VISITATION… by Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Mary is our model, teacher, guide, inspiration, our life, our sweetness and our hope, to all who raise their eyes to her with love. In the beautiful prayer of Saint Bernard, the Memorare, we pray with confidence: “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession 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 is also the Second Joyful Mystery. Let us descend into this “Spiritual Gold Mine” and grab on to these 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 become the Mother of God. Her exact words were: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38) In that moment, one of the most sublime events 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 on an 80 mile journey traveling uphill to Ain Karim to visit her cousin Elizabeth and also to help her cousin 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 baby 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 greater faith, love, and devotion for Jesus truly present in the Eucharist!
6. JOY! This is the 2nd Joyful Mystery. Being with Jesus and Mary is the 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 bondage of Original Sin. Message! Our contact with Jesus and Mary through prayer will undoubtedly serve as a powerful means to diminish the grip of sin upon us and eventually shatter the binding force and slavery of sin. Sin indeed is slavery and Jesus and Mary came to give us freedom, the true 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 would be candidates for abortion. Why? Mary was very young; whereas Elizabeth was very old. However, both women had infinite trust in God’s Divine Providence! Because of this, Elizabeth gave birth to the great Saint John the Baptist, and Mary gave birth to JESUS, THE SON OF GOD! By our meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, at all times 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 only He 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 have been some of the activities that Mary would have 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 machines and dryers to quicken the work. Cooking and baking, preparing the meals, setting the table, washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen after eating—there was no Burger King, Pizza-Hut, or KFC available! Nor were there overflowing refrigerators to be checked and emptied of the waste every week!
All of these humble, domestic chores Mary would have carried out with the greatest love and attention to aid 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 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! For, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.” (Mt 25:40)
