PRI Reflections on Scripture • 5-31-24 - Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

Gospel 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.
Reflection One cannot understand the New Testament without the Old Testament. It's connected. And it's interesting, in this story we see John the Baptist, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, being born at the same time as Jesus, and they are cousins. It makes a very interesting link from the old to the new. And the fundamental differences may be seen in this story.
When Elizabeth praises Mary for having trusted in the promise that was made to her. And Mary gives all the praise to God in the canticle that she she proclaims, and manifesting the newness of what Jesus is going to bring to the world.
Closing Prayer Father, your teaching has evolved. Help us in our work of interpreting Scripture so that we can see the fullness of this message. And be able to proclaim it in our lives. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.