Wednesday, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, May 31, 2017.
1st Reading:Book of Zephaniah 3:14-18a.
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, 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. The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-3.4bcd.5-6.
R/. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56.
Mary set out in those days 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 might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but 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 , remembering his promise of mercy, The promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. The gospel of the Lord.
WEDNESDAY REFLECTIONS:
Though this was a unique gift given to Elizabeth, to have the mother of her Lord come to her, we must understand that we are all equally blessed by the opportunity to daily invite the presence of the Mother of God into our lives. Mother Mary is the Queen of all Saints, but she is also the Queen of all sinners and Queen of those striving for holiness. She is the Mother of All the Living and the Mother of the Church. In God’s providence, she continues to carry out her unique role of visiting those in need on a daily basis. She does so in a way that is far more profound and transformative than in the case of Elizabeth. Mother Mary’s visits to us, her children, now takes place in the order of grace. What does it mean when we say that our Blessed Mother visits us in the order of grace? It means that our relationship with her is based on the divine will and plan of God.
It means we are able to have a relationship with her by which she communicates to us countless mercies from her Son. It means that she becomes the most powerful mediatrix of grace for us that the world has ever known. It means that the effect she has in our lives is deep, profound, transformative and intimately personal. The difficult part about a relationship with our Blessed Mother is that it must take place on a spiritual and interior level rather than on a physical and exterior one. However, even though this is the case, we should not think that this means we are less capable of knowing her and loving her. In fact, the relationship we are now able to have with our Blessed Mother by grace is far deeper and more profound than the relationship Elizabeth was able to have with her on account of the Visitation.
Together we pray: Dearest Mother Mary, I love you and consecrate my life to You, trusting in your motherly care and mediation. Help me, dear Mother, to be open to all that you desire to bring to me from your Son, Jesus. I am honored and humbled that you would care for me and desire to bring to me the mercy of the Heart of your Son Jesus. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You that You alone will heal our sick brethren and set them free. May the souls of our faithful departed brethren rest in perfect peace, amen.