Mary’s Visit to St. Elizabeth - Cardinal Bacci

The Second Joyful Mystery

Mary’s Visit to St. Elizabeth

1. When the Angel told Mary that she had been chosen to be the Mother of God, he proceeded to reveal also the imminent birth of the Precursor of Jesus Christ. Her cousin, Elizabeth, he told her, who had been sterile for such a long time, would soon have the joy of bearing a son. When the Blessed Virgin heard this good news, she set out for a long and difficult journey to congratulate her cousin.

The devout soul is always motivated by charity and pays no attention to difficulties or obstacles because the grace of God possesses it completely. We also have received, and continue to receive, many graces from our Creator. We were nothing, and God gave us being. We were in darkness, and He gave us the light of faith. We were slaves of sin, and Jesus Christ broke the bonds in which the devil held us and gave us the freedom of the children of God. We were exiles on this earth and God became our companion and our guide. We hungered for the supernatural, and He nourished us with the divine Bread in which He gave Himself to us completely.

2. But are we as grateful to God as we ought to be! Do we correspond with His graces? Are we prepared to make any sacrifice in order to share with others the gift with which He has enriched us?

Let us remember that gratitude is a virtue which is very pleasing to God and draws down on us other graces and gifts.

In his panegyric on Trajan the younger Pliny observes that the best means of soliciting new favours is to show gratitude for those which we have already received. On the other hand, as St. Bernard points out, ingratitude is like a scorching wind which dries up the dew of divine mercy. (Sermon 52 in Cant.) Let us be grateful to God, therefore, and do our best to share with others the gifts which we have received.

3. As soon as Mary entered her cousin’s house, Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit and felt the infant in her womb leaping with joy in the presence of Jesus and His Mother. “Blessed are thou among women,” she cried out, “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And how have I deserved that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43) Then the Blessed Virgin in her joy and gratitude gave utterance to the Magnificat. This expression of her happiness was interwoven, however, with sentiments of deep humility.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; Because he has regarded the humility of his handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because he who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is his name; And his mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy – Even as he spoke to our fathers – to Abraham and to his posterity forever.” (Luke 1:46-55)

If at that moment they could have heard the words of this poor and unknown girl, what would the mighty Emperor Caesar Augustus, or the petty king, Herod, have said? Yet history is there to demonstrate the astounding truth of these prophetic words. Generations of yesterday and of today have bowed in reverence before this simple maiden, while one after another rulers have been tumbling from their thrones. Let us honour the Blessed Virgin also and learn from her to love humility and holiness.