Today is the day of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth found in Luke 1:39 -- 45. Jonny sat with me this Memorial Day, and together we remembered this story as we read it once again.
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
Elizabeth speaks loudly and explicitly what she knows. And what Elizabeth knows begins in her body -- the child within her womb leaps. Noticing what happened, she gives it meaning, with a sudden short exclamation, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Then, building on that foundation, Elizabeth continues, as she wonders aloud how she could be so favored as to receive the mother of her Lord, explaining how it was that she discerned who Mary is, concluding her statement with a blessing for Mary, who believed what was spoken to her.
Isn’t that story amazing? Elizabeth's discernment is anchored in her body. Revelation is layered on top of that. Sometimes, like Elizabeth, we can know the meaning of our unique experiences.
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
Elizabeth speaks loudly and explicitly what she knows. And what Elizabeth knows begins in her body -- the child within her womb leaps. Noticing what happened, she gives it meaning, with a sudden short exclamation, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” Then, building on that foundation, Elizabeth continues, as she wonders aloud how she could be so favored as to receive the mother of her Lord, explaining how it was that she discerned who Mary is, concluding her statement with a blessing for Mary, who believed what was spoken to her.
Isn’t that story amazing? Elizabeth's discernment is anchored in her body. Revelation is layered on top of that. Sometimes, like Elizabeth, we can know the meaning of our unique experiences.
RSS Feed