Lessons learnt from the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lessons learnt from the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1.      Mary’s visit to Elizabeth was a life giving visit. This life giving experience made Elizabeth proclaim” whom am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

2.      Anyone who so recognizes God’s interventions in their lives will so two things: they will sing and dance before God, praising and worshiping him for his works, and they will serve their sisters and brothers with joy and gratitude in their hearts.

3.      We should never underestimate God's tremendous love for us. Even though Elizabeth had been barren and her time for having a baby was over, God caused her to conceive. Our God is a God of surprises. Sometimes, when we least expect it, he touches us with a miracle and our life is changed forever. God can work miracles only as strong and as big as our faith is!

4.      The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith. .  God puts his trust in Mary and, in turn, this makes her to put her trust in God. St. Augustine said that “Mary first conceived in her heart by faith and then in her womb.” Mary’s faith did not only sustain her life, but it gave abundant fruit for our redemption.  St. Irenaeus says, she, being obedient, became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. Mary, in her womb carried the God incarnate, and thus became the Ark of the New Covenant. 

5.      Mary is the new eve (Gen 3:20), a name which seems to mean life, vitality, hence the expression “Mother of the living”. Because of this, Mary’s motherhood is more than a personal gift, it is a gift of all humankind through Mary, and it is a charism in the strict sense of the word, a gift given to one person for the benefit of the community. Every gift we receive involves a task and a responsibility.

6.      In the canticle of Magnificat, Mary calls herself “servant”. It means belonging to God. Servants are those who announce the Lord’s message, those who receive mission (Acts 2:18). Belonging to God is expressed by our availability, by our welcoming his plan for our lives and our world. She shows her total confidence on the will of God. Mary makes God’s will her won in her body and her faith.

7.      Mary inspires us to live a life full of gratitude, generosity, compassion and hope, so that we may return to god, with interest, all the gifts he has given us. This feast reminds us to be charitable to our neighbors.

8.      The feast of the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an invitation for all Christians to work together to transform our world. Are we ready? God wants to continue doing great things and transform the fortune of the humble.  It is a celebration of God’s unconditional love and his power that protects the lowly and puts down the proud and the arrogant. It is a call for all to be brave like Mary to follow God’s will.

Let us pray: Hail May, Full of grace! Teach us to sing the praises of the Lord and serve our neighbor as you did.Hail May, Full of grace! Teach us to sing the praises of the Lord and serve our neighbor as you did.

Happy Feast day.