Today, we celebrate together the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which commemorates the moment when Mary, the mother of Jesus visited her cousin Elizabeth in the mountainous regions of Judea, after traveling a five day journey to see how her cousin Elizabeth.
Elizabeth in her old age was then pregnant with St. John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah, who was miraculously conceived after many years of unsuccessful marriage without any children between Elizabeth and her husband, Zechariah.
At the same time, Mary was carrying within Her, Jesus Christ, our savior. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Our Lord came down from heaven and took up the flesh of man in Mary’s womb.
Shortly after the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at the Annunciation, Our Lady went to visit Her cousin Elizabeth. Mary arose and went in haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah called Ain Karim. Once the Blessed Virgin learned from the angel that Her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant, She was moved by charity and hurried to lend a hand to help Elizabeth who was advanced in years. Nobody asked Mary to go. God could have asked Mary to go and visit Her cousin, but He didn’t. Mary could have remained at home to prepare for the arrival of Her Divine Son, the Messiah, but She joyfully sets out on the journey “with haste” and goes to offer Elizabeth Her humble assistance.
When Mary arrived, Elizabeth heard Her greeting and was filled with the Holy Spirit. And at that moment, the unborn John the Baptist leapt for joy within her womb. The action of the unborn children, bear witness to dignity of all unborn children.
Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit, by divine knowledge comes to know that she is in the presence of the Lord in Mary’s womb. She even comes to know Mary’s pregnancy was miraculous.
While in the womb of His Mother Mary, Our Divine Lord blessed the unborn John the Baptist in the womb of his mother, Elizabeth. The Church teaches, at that moment, St. John was sanctified, meaning his original sin was washed away.
The action of these two unborn children remind us of the sanctity of life. It’s a reminder that life begins at conception. At the time of the Visitation, John had been conceived for 6 months and Jesus’ conception was no longer that 5 days. Yet, these two unborn children teach us a lesson.
They teach us that life no matter how small is precious and beautiful and that God wants us to love and respect unborn children. Today, let us resolve to recite Mary’s magnificat in thanksgiving for all the good things, God has done for us in sending His Son as an unborn child destined to die on the Cross and rise from the dead, to save us.
And let us remember that just as Mary’s body became a temple of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Most High and the Ark of the Covenant, because She carried Jesus in Her womb to the hill country, grant that we should recall we too become a temple, an ark and a sanctuary for Jesus, when we receive His body in Holy Communion, let us carry Him to others as we help them in their needs.
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