FRIDAY, EIGHTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Zep 3: 14-18/Rom 12: 9-16; Is 12: 2-6; Lk 1: 39-56
WITH GOD, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
Today we celebrate the feast of ‘The Visitation’. It is an event which brings to our thoughts the immeasurable joy brimming in the hearts of Mary, Elizabeth and her unborn babe John the Baptist. The same joy which filled the hearts of people in the Old Testament when the prophets pronounced that the Lord God of Israel is in their midst. They sang psalms and praised God for His inexhaustible goodness and grandeur. Mary too was raised in her spirit and sang the Magnificat which sums up the immense joy of her soul in that moment. John the Baptist also could not contain his emotions that he began to dance like King David before the arch of the covenant, which is also another expression of joy. Elizabeth also dazzled in her spiritual delight, began to plainly proclaim the truth, exclaiming “what great blessings that the mother of my God has visited me!” Such was the jubilant episode that is narrated in today’s liturgy.
These are not just merely historical events but realities of life when we experience the Living God intimately within us. Jesus being the source of joy never fails to kindle our spirit whenever we approach him in our prayers. All of us, in some way or the other, crave for happiness. Happiness can never satisfy us, unless we receive it from God who is infinitely beautiful and loving. Contemplating His goodness and embraced by his personal encounter in prayer, we are renewed in our faith and determination. Through this feast day, Mother Mary shows us what it means to serve our neighbours. Encounter with God must propel us to be more serviceable to our brothers and sister. The call of Christian vocation is to move out of our comfort zones and serve people beyond any barriers and distinctions. Let us therefore pray for this virtue of service, asking the Lord for the Grace to see the face of Jesus His Son in every person whom we encounter in our life.
Response: Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Copyright ©2024 ©Springs of Living Water http://springs.carmelmedia.in