The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, May 31, 2025

Luke 1, 39-56

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”  And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever.”  Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

In ancient times, a handmaid sat at the feet of her master or mistress, poised to act at the slightest gesture that indicated an action to take.  Here, the Virgin Mary, who called herself “the handmaid of the Lord”, does not wait for a command from the Angel Gabriel to go to her relative Elizabeth, but goes “in haste” at his informing her that she is three months pregnant.  And she does this at the time the Angel has announced to her that she will be the Mother of God.  Mary takes no time for herself but goes to serve.  It may be too that Mary, hearing the name of her relative from the Angel’s mouth considered that he was directing her to Elizabeth’s husband, the priest Zechariah, who could help her understand what she was to do to prepare for the Birth of her own Son.  She goes to serve and to learn how to serve.  Truly, she came to serve and not to be served (cf. Matthew 20, 28).

“Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste.”  The Greek word translated here as “haste” can also mean “with diligence” and it is a better choice for the translator.  “Haste” implies an emotional state near akin to panic, rushing out without preparation, hurrying without prudence.  “With diligence”, in contrast, implies care, but acting without delay, moving efficiently.  And this is how a good servant acts.  And Mary’s speech and behavior during her meeting with Gabriel showed great reserve and prudence.

“She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”  Presumably Zechariah was in the house or near it at the time Mary arrived and he would have greeted her at that time.  It would have been a strange greeting, for he could not speak and Mary would have have amazed by his muteness. At the same time, her coming to visit then could have meant only one thing — that she knew of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.  She knew of this even though no one else even suspected it, for Elizabeth had hidden herself away in the house for months without a word to any friends or members of her family.  But knowing the reason for her visit, he brought Mary to the room where Elizabeth had been staying, and she came out, hearing her voice.

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb.”  Such a scene!  Zechariah’s amazement at Mary’s arrival, Mary’s astonishment at finding Zechariah mute, Mary’s joy at seeing her pregnant relative, and now Elizabeth’s wonder as she recognized that Mary was the Mother of her Lord through the bounding in her womb of her own unborn son.  “Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice.”  She cried out doubly for her and her husband, and also for all the world.  Zechariah 9, 9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King will come to thee, the just and saviour.”

“And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth, who was due respect as an older woman and as the wife of a priest, humbles herself before Mary, recognizing, through the Holy Spirit, that the King of kings had made Mary’s womb his throne room.