I find the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth as an
unusual event in history. These figures do not act as typical people would act.
Let’s have a look at the facts from Chapter 1 of Luke.
Mary goes to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth who was once
said to be barren but is now in the last few months of her pregnancy.
Elizabeth’s husband is currently mute.
Mary is seen as sinful for being with child and not married.
And this is where the story begins.
Mary greets Elizabeth and the baby in her womb leaps for joy
and she says, “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?”
I mean that seems like a bit much. Most people in Elizabeth’s shoes would say
something like, “Who do you think you are getting pregnant out of marriage and
then stealing my husband’s story and saying that an angel came to you and you became
pregnant by God! And how does this happen to me, that you come and rub this in
my face after you know how long I have suffered and failed to have a child!”
Maybe we would not have said this but we might have very
well been thinking it while we said, “ Oh Mary nice to see you, thanks for
coming to help…”
Elizabeth was given the grace of God to see the truth in
Mary, to see Christ in Mary. She was not thinking about herself but goes even further in her greeting
and states, “Blessed are you who believe that what was spoken to you by the
Lord would be fulfilled. “ She complements Mary on her faith.
When in my point
of view Elizabeth is displaying a huge amount of faith.
And then Mary responds in her normal fashion with humility
and trust in God, “My soul proclaims the greatness of God” or in the more literal
translation. “My soul magnifies to Lord!”
How would we greet Mary if we were in Elizabeth’s shoes?
How do we greet Mary today?
How do we greet others?
I think I need to do a better.
Greetings
Stuck down, confused, lost