“The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary”

Part of Elizabeth’s greeting of Mary in today’s gospel has made its way into the prayer that we know as the Hail Mary, “of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Elizabeth declares Mary blessed because she is the mother of the Lord. Elizabeth goes on to declare Mary blessed because of her faith, “blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” It was because of her faith that she became the mother of God’s Son. It was her surrender in faith to God’s call, “let it be to me according to your word,” that ensured she would become the mother of the Lord. We may not all be able to imitate Mary’s motherhood, but we can imitate her faith, which was what really defined her. Paul in his letter to the Galatians speaks of “faith working through love” or faith which expresses itself in love. That was the kind of faith Mary had; her visit to Elizabeth was her faith expressing itself in love. This is the same mature faith that we are all called to, “the faith that shows itself in love.” Mary shows us the way to such a faith. [MH