Christ the Cornerstone

As Mary did, let us live to praise God and serve others

“When Mary reaches Elizabeth’s house, an event takes place that no artist could ever portray with the beauty and the intensity with which it took place. The interior light of the Holy Spirit enfolds their persons. And Elizabeth, enlightened from on high, exclaims: Blessed are you among women.” (Pope Benedict XVI)

The publication date for this column is Friday, May 31, the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is only right that the month of May, which is dedicated to this beautiful woman, the mother of our Lord, should conclude with a story that illustrates her role as the first missionary disciple of her Son, Jesus.

St. Luke tells us in today’s Gospel reading (Lk 1:39-56) that once Mary had accepted the angel’s message from God informing her that she was to become the mother of our Lord, she left at once to visit her cousin Elizabeth:

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled. (Lk 1:39-45)

No one would have blamed Mary if she had stayed home, taking care of herself in anticipation of the birth of her Son.

But Mary was not concerned about herself. She trusted that God would provide for her. So, she set her own comfort aside and traveled to “the hill country” (Lk 1:39) where Elizabeth lived with her husband, Zechariah.

Mary’s trip from Nazareth to the town in Judah can be seen as the first Christian missionary journey. Its purpose was to give comfort and assistance to an elderly relative who was expecting her first child. But its effect was to announce the presence of the Incarnate Word of God to Elizabeth and to her unborn child John, who would be the first herald of Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29).

Mary carried the Son of God in her womb, but she boldly proclaimed him by her presence and by her selfless care and concern for Elizabeth.

In response to Elizabeth’s enthusiastic greeting and her acknowledgment that Mary is indeed “blessed among women” (Lk 1:42), Mary sang the canticle that is now repeated every day in the Church’s evening prayer:

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. (Lk 1:46-55)

Mary’s words are fully integrated with her actions. Her entire life gives witness to the Christian virtues outlined by St. Paul in today’s optional first reading:

Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. (Rom 12:9-13)

Mary lives to praise God and to serve others. She willingly accepts the intense suffering that comes with her role as a missionary disciple. And she believes with all her heart that “what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45) would be fulfilled.

As we conclude this month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, let’s “rejoice in hope” with her. And let’s ask her to accompany us and to help us respond generously to the Lord’s call to each of us to be faithful missionary disciples of her divine Son. †