Luke 1:39-56 When the Lowly Meet the Great
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. 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.”
She never thought she would get married. A few months ago, I celebrated her marriage. When I asked her how she met her future husband, she laughed.
“I was being set up on a blind date by one of my friends. I was given my blind dates phone number so we could talk before we met. We instantly clicked and it wasn’t until I mentioned our date later that I noticed I had dialed the wrong number! I dialed a 7 instead of a 4. He said that he didn’t know what I was talking about or who my friends were. I was so embarrassed I had the wrong number that I apologized and quickly ended the conversation. Remembering how much I enjoyed talking with him, a few days later I sent him a text message. He immediately responded and we spent the next eleven hours talking to each other.”
Mary set out and traveled. Isn’t it remarkable, that after the astonishing events surrounding the Word of God becoming flesh, Mary set out on foot and in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth? The simplicity of Mary’s journey is breathtaking when you consider the extraordinary personalities that came to visit her and the great distances they traveled to be with her. Isn’t it breathtaking…how “the simple one” met “The Almighty One”? How the two became one?
It all brings me back to how the laws of the Universe can regulate and order all things great and small; the galaxies and my home and life. As a ray of light comes from Heaven to earth, the angel of the Lord came to Mary. His warmth filled Mary with the warmth of the Holy Spirit. All that is beautiful and all that is true brings warmth to all who embrace it. As electrical forces hold atoms together, the Son of God embraced His mother in a love that could never be separated. How spectacular it all is when the Laws of the Universe can be translated into something other than numbers! How amazing it is that a simple virgin could care for, watch over and love the Son of God! And, as opposite forces attract one another, how the Son of God could care for, watch over and love a world full of sinners.
Something just doesn’t seem right here. And yet, it is perfectly right.
She entered the house. Today, we celebrate the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A visitation is not just a superficial encounter or a casual “visit”. A visitation brings with it a purpose, a reason. Mary’s purpose is to bring Love, the Lord, into the world; into the life of another. Her visit reveals our mission.
The world is not perfect. And yet, it should be. The only reason why it isn’t is because He isn’t in the world. Now He is. And now we know why we are too: to bring Him into the world.
The womb isn’t safe. And yet, it should be, for it is blessed to be born humble and small. The Lord has made it known, through his incarnation and death, that all stages of life, great and small, are blessed; from the womb and the tomb he made a difference and so can we.
Mary traveled from her home to another. Her Son would travel from one home to another. His disciples would travel from one continent to the other. Throughout the world and throughout the centuries, one woman’s simple journey has been repeated millions and millions of times over. The Lord continues to call the meek ones to humble the proud ones; to do what He did to make love sincere.
“Brothers and sisters: Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor…Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer” (Rm 12:9-16).
All those who surround us, all that revolves around us, all that exists, needs God’s presence and ours too. For when the “lowly one” meets the Great One, all Hell breaks loose and crumbles and fall.
What is left is simple love.
I cant even count the amazing graces and blessings I have received from God. I cant count the times Ive asked Him why He gave them to me. I cant begin to tell anyone how long I have resisted the facts that He has done what He has done just because He loves me and because He wants to. It seems so contrary to reason and it is. But when I look at who He chose as His apostles, twelve VERY imperfect men who didnt deserve what they received either and a lowly girl to be His Mother, it makes it easier to see how he could have some important or great plan for me, a nobody.
ReplyDeleteIt has taken a long time to get to this place where I believe He can use a nobody like me, but when I sincerely look at all the people He has chosen throughout history for important roles, I believe He can and is and will use me for great things too. I dont mean great in a grandiose way but great way as to make a difference in the kingdom of God.
I truly believe He wants greatness out of every single one of us and He chose the lowly and imperfect to encourage us.
This month I planted a Mary garden around my patio. Beautiful pink rose moss, oregano, and autumn sage surround a statue of OL of Lourdes. I absolutely love looking at my mini oasis whenever I go out on the patio and enjoy a glass of vino! God gave us life and the beauty of nature! I find my simple little garden a reminder of how awesome God truly is.....
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the story of the Visitation of Mary, I often wonder what Mary and Elizabeth talked about. Of course, we know they talked about their pregnancies, the miracle gifts from God! But, did they chat about family and friends? Did they discuss Temple events? Did they enjoy a lunch together? Did they eat figs, baked bread, and brew herbal tea? Did they talk about their husbands and some of the annoying things they have to put up with? It would be interesting to have been a fly in the room during Mary and Elizabeth's conversation.
Blessings,
-Jennifer
Father, is it true that when Mary greeted Elizabeth and the baby John lept in Elizabeth's womb, original sin was removed from John's soul? I felt like I heard that somewhere...
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with today's meditation, but I just got home from the midnight showing of the movie For the Greater Glory. If you are reading this and are an American and want to live in a country with religious freedom, you need to see this movie and what could be ahead for us, if things continue the way they are going.
ReplyDeleteAs I was watching the martyrdom in this movie, I was thinking how much less we are asked to do right now in our country to hold on to our freedom of religion and how many of us are oblivious or too afraid of the way we may appear to others to do anything to save our religious rights.
God's timing is perfect for this film to be released now when we are facing the HHS mandate.
Please, if you love your freedom, don't sit and watch it fade away. Lets fight now before it's our blood we will be shedding like the Mexicans did not that long ago.
If you have no clue what I'm talking about, check out the link below. It is a must see. It may not be for kids because there is a lot of violence. Unfortunately it is not gratuitous violence, it is accurate and true.
http://www.catholic.org/ae/movies/review.php?id=46421
God Bless and God Save America