The Visitation of Our Lady | Monday 31 May 2021

Today is Monday the 31 May, The Feast of The Visitation of Our Lady.

Tenebrae, directed by Nigel Short, sing the Magnificat from Rachmaninov’s Vespers, the song of Mary: “My soul glorifies the Lord, my Spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,” she says, and, “The Almighty has worked marvels for me.  Holy is his name.” As I begin to pray today, can I think of the marvels the Lord has worked for me?  - the things in my life I think are wonderful, that I want to thank God for?  

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.  

Luke 1:39-56

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.  

Today’s gospel gives an account of a most extraordinary visit!  Cousins, one young and one old: one a virgin and one past child-bearing years.  Both are pregnant.  They each recognise the presence of God in the unlikely events which are unfolding around them.  I take a moment or two to imagine being with Mary and Elizabeth in Zechariah’s house...    

I notice their humility and gratitude.   I rejoice with them as they praise God for His goodness - even though they do not understand His ways.    I see the hope they have in God, the God who looks with favour on the lowly, the God who comes to turn the values of the world upside down. 

Mary’s soul magnifies the Lord.  She tells of the coming of Christ – the Christ who will revolutionise our world, my world.  As I listen again, this time just to her words, I take a moment to ponder what Christ’s values mean to me in my life – in the unique circumstances of my life.  

I speak to the Lord.  I ask Him for the help I need to carry His word into my daily living.   I ask him to enable me to see, like Mary, the ‘great things’ he is doing for me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.