For anyone who has ever prayed the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, the Visitation is well known as the Second Joyful Mystery. It describes that event from the first chapter of St. Luke’s Gospel when Our Lady goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. It reminds us that visiting another person certainly is a beautiful and neighborly thing to do. Dropping in on a relative is most often an occasion of joyful caring outreach. However, this Gospel event is not just dropping by for a chat. The Visitation of Our Lady is really a marvelous encounter that has great importance for each one of us today. Here are some important points to consider.
Mary is not travelling alone. I am not referring to St. Joseph making the trip with her. The Gospel narrative is not explicit about that, although some artists depict him accompanying his spouse into the hill country of Judea. Even if St. Joseph did not come with her, the Blessed Mother was still not alone. Remember that the Visitation follows the blessed event of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel came to Mary and announced to her the marvelous news that she was chosen to be the Mother of the Messiah. At her “Fiat” – her “let it be done unto me according to your word,” she conceived God in her womb by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. She is not journeying solo because she has Jesus, the Word Incarnate, true God and true Man, with her in her virginal womb.
Mary goes to the home of her cousin, advanced in years and thought sterile, because Elizabeth is also with child. A divinely ordained encounter is about to unfold. A meeting that is a prime pattern for evangelization. A coming-together of two mothers who each said a resounding “yes” to God’s plans.
Our Lady is the “God-bearer.” She is also called the Ark of the New Covenant reminding us of the Ark of the Covenant from the Old Testament that was prized so highly by the people of Israel because it mysteriously contained the presence of God. This assured them that God was with them and gave them hope.
What objects were in the original Ark of the Covenant? There were three things. First, there was a jar containing manna, the heavenly bread that fed the Israelites on their journey to the promised land.
Second, there were the remains of the stone tablets on which God wrote the Ten Commandments. Third, the staff of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel. All of these three things prefigure Jesus Christ whom Our Lady carried in her womb. The manna reminds us that Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (Jn 6:51). That is why we believe that the bread that is consecrated at Mass really becomes the Body of Christ. The remnants of the Ten Commandments point to Jesus Christ who sums up the Mosaic Law with the Law of Love, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:12). The staff of Aaron testifies to Jesus as the new Great High Priest who will lay down His life on the altar of the Cross to save us from our sins for “…Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 13 20).
We see that the Visitation is not just a friendly visit, but it is an encounter with God made man, Jesus the Savior who is the Bread of Life, the Law Giver and the Great High Priest. Just as King David brought the Ark of the Old Covenant containing God’s Presence through hill country of Judea to Jerusalem, so, too, Our Lady brings Jesus who is of the House of David through the hill country of Judea to her cousin Elizabeth. This is also reflected in the similarity of language and sentiment offered by David in receiving the Ark of the Old Covenant and by Elizabeth in receiving the Ark of the New Covenant (her cousin Mary) into her home. David proclaimed, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Sam 6:9). Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1: 1: 42-43).
Both David and Elizabeth find joy in the presence of the Lord. For Elizabeth it is the Incarnate Presence of the Lord dwelling in the womb of Our Lady. He comes to make all things right! What a Presence! What a message! His Blessed Mother bears Him to her cousin’s house and bears Him to us today throughout the Church. It is prime evangelization!
This is why recent popes have named Mary, the God-bearer the Star of the New Evangelization. The Church tells us that evangelization is the proclamation of the Gospel, the presentation of the person of Jesus Christ who comes to save us. We can say that everyone who is baptized and a member of Christ’s Body the Church is called to proclaim Him and, according to each one’s vocation, to bear Him to others. If we know Jesus and love Him, we never keep Him to ourselves but we bring Him to as many people as we can. That is what the Church has been doing for 2000 years.
We look to the Mother of God as first disciple of the Lord and the first evangelizer because she carried Him still unborn in her womb to Elizabeth who needed Him. In her most unusual circumstances, advanced in years, thought to be sterile, and now with child, she finds God in Mary her cousin.
Our Lady is a model of the best of evangelizers for us all. She shows us that we must be humble and receive the Word Incarnate into our own hearts and then, with courage, conviction and charity, carry Jesus to everyone who needs Him. And who doesn’t need Jesus?
Our Lady of Guadalupe is often called the Star of the New Evangelization. Why? In the image that she gave to St. Juan Diego on his tilma (cloak or poncho), she is wearing a black cord or cincture. For the Native American people of Mexico that back cord was a sign that she was with child. Whenever we find ourselves in Mary’s presence, we are in the presence of Jesus. She always brings her Son to us.
The morning star always appears in the night sky just before the dawn so as to announce the coming of the sun. Our Blessed Mother, the true Morning Star, always appears to announce the arrival of her Son. Amazing!
When we think of the Visitation of Our Lady, we should think of her tremendous role in being a super evangelizer – in announcing the presence of Christ Himself, in bringing Christ to all who need Him. So get ready – when Our Lady shows up, great things begin to happen!
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh