In addition to being a beautiful feast day, the Visitation is one of the joyful mysteries of the rosary. It is celebrated in Catholic artwork, often depicting the scene in scripture where Our Blessed Mother, Mary, visits her cousin Elizabeth. Upon hearing Mary's greeting, the child in her womb leapt for joy and Elizabeth was overcome with gratitude that the mother of her Lord would come to visit her. One of our favorite depictions of this scene is the one above where both St. John the Baptist and Jesus are visible in the womb's of their mothers.
Elizabeth's prophetic words inspire Mary's song of praise, the Magnificat (Lk 1:46 – 55):
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.
The fruit that is prayed for during this mystery is charity, love of neighbor. Why? Because Our Lady gave us her generous example of leaving her home and going into the hill country to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, though she herself was with child.
During this week's rosary, we will pray for charity to grow in all of our hearts as we begin to resume some of our normal activities, like being able to go to mass, visit restaurants, and gather with friends. May charity and love of neighbor reign in our hearts as leaders and business owners seek the best ways to re-engage our culture, while protecting the safety of our citizens.
Click the image below to oin us for this week's Rosary. If you've already registered, you should receive a reminder link directly from Zoom. Please be sure to share the information below with your friends and family!
