HOMILY FOR THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
THEME: WOMEN OF FAITH
BY: FR GERALD M. MUSA
HOMILY FOR TUESDAY MAY 31 2022
Mary and Elizabeth were two obscure women who were brought to the limelight because of the greatness of their children. Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and Mary the mother of Jesus Christ. John had the task of heralding the coming of Jesus. Mary’s child, Jesus ushered in a new era in human history, setting a new foundation for mankind. In their story, we can sense the virtues of humility and ardent faith shining. There is yet another virtue that we cannot ignore in the story of Mary and Elizabeth, and that is the virtue of visitation. Mary traveled to Hebron, the hill country of Judah to visit Elizabeth and stayed there for three months. During this period, these two cousins must have shared their profound experiences of the work of God in their lives. The prophetic words of Elizabeth to Mary show that she was a woman who was in touch with the working of the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth repeated the words of the Angel to Mary: “Blessed are you.” The encounter between Mary and Elizabeth shows that these women were not just biologically related, but they also had a spiritual bond. Mary loved and respected Elizabeth and it is clear that these two women shared a strong faith and confided in each other. Can we imitate the virtue of Mary in visiting and sharing our faith and joy with loved ones?
ZEPHANIAH 3:14-18A; LUKE 1:39-56 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary