The Visitation
Blessed Virgin Mary surrendered herself to the will of God revealed through the angel. In order to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Ain-Karim, the town of Judea, she set out, from Nazareth in Galilee, with a caravan that was going to Jerusalem
Mary reached Zachariah’s house in Ain-Karim, a small town south-west of Jerusalem. In entering the house she greeted her cousin with “Shalom” Elizabeth also wished with “Shalom my daughter” “So what I was told about you is true?”- Mary asked her “Who told you?” – Elizabeth asked: “An angel of the Lord”, she said
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby moved within her Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke in a loud voice: “You are the most blessed of all women and blessed is the child you will bear’ Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lord’s mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness. How happy are you to believe that the Lord’s message will come true!”
Then Mary said: “My soul magnified the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour, because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, until Elizabeth had given birth to a son. On the eight day,
they circumcised the child. The relatives and friends thought the child should be called Zachariah, his father’s name. But his mother said “No! His name will be John” But they reminded her, that there was no one in the family who bore that name Then they made signs to his father asking him what name he would like the boy to have. But he, being still dumb, made signs and demanded a writing plank and wrote “His name is John ” How surprised they all were! At the same moment his tongue was loosened and Zachariah was able to speak again and he started praising God “Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel for He has remembered his promise
A few days later Mary bids farewell And Elizabeth said to her “Mary, I am so glad you came It was a
great help to me. Now go in peace my daughter, the Lord is with you.” And Mary returned to Nazareth
Courtesy: Sebastian D’Cruz