In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the
hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the
house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when
Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped
in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe
in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who
believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was
spoken to her from the Lord.” And Mary said, “My
soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in
God, my Savior. – Luke 1:39-47
Prayer
We fly to your patronage,
O holy Mother of God;
Despise not our prayers in our necessities,
But ever deliver us from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Reflection
Mary, carrying the eternal Son of God in her womb,
went with haste to visit her aged relative, Elizabeth, and
her husband, Zechariah. The Angel Gabriel had told
Mary that Elizabeth was also pregnant: Behold, your
kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived
a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was
called barren. For with God nothing is impossible
(Luke 1: 36-37).
St. Luke, it would seem, saw 2 Samuel 6, the Old
Testament account of King David’s transfer of the
Ark of the Covenant from the from the hill country of
Judah to Jerusalem, fulfilled in the Visitation account.
St. Luke’s intention was to present Mary, making the
journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth, as the true Ark of
the Covenant – the new dwelling place of God among
his people.
Here are some points of comparison: When Jewish
people came into the presence of the Ark of the
Covenant, they would let out a joyful shout, a certain
holy noise reserved exclusively to honor God’s presence
in the Ark. When Mary entered her kinswoman’s house
and greeted her, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry. Elizabeth
used almost the exact words that King David had used
when he realized the significance of the Ark coming to
his house: And why is this granted me, that the mother
of my Lord should come to me? Finally, whereas David
danced and leaped before the old Ark of the Covenant,
it was John the Baptist in his mother’s womb who
danced and leaped before the presence of God in his
new Ark of the Covenant, Mary!26 27
This text casts brilliant light on the meaning of the
Annunciation and Mary’s fiat. Through Mary’s assent
of faith to the word of the Angel, the eternal Son of God
came down from Heaven to dwell in her womb. The
Ark of the Covenant constructed at God’s command
by Moses and Aaron is only a type – a foreshadowing
of Mary, the true dwelling place of God. Elizabeth,
Zechariah, and the unborn John the Baptist are blessed
by Jesus living in Mary. Elizabeth blessed Son and
Mother three times: Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And blessed is
she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of
what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Prayer
Almighty and Ever-Living God, the Virgin Mary is the
new Ark of the Covenant. During the nine months of
her pregnancy, she carried your Son-made-man in her
virginal womb. From his Royal Throne, Christ began to
bring his people salvation. After his birth, which did not
diminish His mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified
it, he continued to dwell in Mary through grace and
charity with an unparalleled intensity. Father, we beg
you to send Mary to visit the United States, calling all
to faith in Christ’s Gospel of Life and conversion from
sin. May she help all to understand that her conception
of Christ in Nazareth, and her wondrous childbirth in
Bethlehem, point to the inviolable sanctity of every
conception and birth. May she help those women
who have had abortions to find God’s forgiveness
and healing. Father, turn the hearts of all advocates of
contraception and abortion to Christ, the Lord of Life.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.