The Visitation Revisited

Have you noticed in recent times the creative and often elaborate ways in which couples will announce that they are expecting a child? Revealing the gender of the child has even become a ceremonious occasion in our time. But why not?! This is truly a momentous event in the lives of all involved!

"Ice, Ice...Baby"

The announcement of the pregnancy inaugurates nine months of frenzied activity and the formation of a new way of life. From my own observations, there seems to be a certain glow as a woman carries and nurtures the new life within her womb. These expectant mothers become naturally and incredibly selfless, seeking the best for this child who, through the mystery of science and nature, grows and develops within her. Fathers are often filled with pride (and nervousness) as they wait in expectation for the birth of the child. Nurseries are painted; cribs and high chairs are erected; doctor appointments are scheduled; potential names are picked; family and friends buzz about with anticipation.

Perhaps this is why the Visitation between the Virgin Maria and her relative Elizabeth resonates within the Christian imagination. To some extent, we all know the joy and the anxiety that follows the announcement of a pregnancy. Both Maria and Elizabeth experienced difficult and quite unusual pregnancies. Certainly, there were great physical and societal risks involved in each woman's pregnancy. One was young and unmarried, the other older and past child-bearing years. 

The Visitation of the Virgin Maria and Elizabeth

Yet, Maria and Elizabeth both shared a certain solidarity together, rooted ultimately in their faith in God. They trusted that it was God who had guided them to this point their lives. Each woman believed that God would work through them to accomplish God's salvific purpose. It was God who worked through these "lowly" women of Nazareth and Judah, through the ordinariness of their lives -now made extraordinary. This was the same God, Maria professed, who would work to overcome injustice and show mercy by raising up the poor and the lowly (read Maria's Canticle in Luke 1:46-55 here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/1).

The visitation brought together these two incredible women of faith. Together, Maria and Elizabeth trusted that God was at work in the world and in their very lives. This is the model of humility and faith that all of us are called to strive towards. Indeed, with faith and the glimmer of hope, the Virgin Maria sings out: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for He has done great things for me. And holy is God's Name!"

God makes the ordinary into the extraordinary. Our expectations are shattered and a new vision for our life is rebuilt in its place. Words of justice, mercy, and love flow from the embrace of two relatives in a dusty Judean town. It's amazing what the announcement of a pregnancy can do!