The Visitation - A Pro-Life Message for Today's Culture of Death

Today is the Feast of the Visitation - when Mary, newly gifted with the miracle of the God-child, goes to visit her elderly cousin, Elizabeth who was also miraculously pregnant. From the moment of Mary's Fiat, Jesus was within her, the Word was flesh - growing flesh, true, but flesh. The God that made the universe was living and being fashioned a human body inside of a young Jewish girl. 

Mary, filled with joy (and probably a bit scared too), goes to see her cousin and help her through the last trimester, which, for an older woman would be difficult even in our current day of comfort. Mary went and greeted her cousin, and as soon as she did, the Child growing in her womb was made known to the still young John, and he - as David did hundreds of years before - leaped for joy at being in the presence of God.

The very first person to ever leap for joy, to worship Jesus (besides His Mother by offering her life) was an unborn child. That unborn child was the first missionary - he told his mother that they were in the presence of God as His new Ark. And Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reacts accordingly. She blessed Mary and her Child, Jesus. She proclaims the wonder at being greeted by the Mother of God.  Mary defers the glory to whom it belongs - the Son growing within her and the Lord that gave him to her.

In a day and age where a child isn't considered a child until it is born or the umbilicus cut, when children are put off because of the inconvenience of having children young, are protected against when the mother is older to avoid potential birth defects, and when we struggle with remembering the joy and beauty of motherhood, this mystery is the perfect meditation. Here, two new mothers, expecting their first children, greet each other - and so do the children inside their wombs. One Child is worshiped, the other, worshiping. One child radiates, through His Mother, His presence; the other child tells his mother who has come.

Let us pray, today, for the end of abortion, for a renewal of the love and joy of motherhood, and that all expectant mothers - especially those in less desirable circumstances - will have someone they can go to for support.

I wish I could write more, but the Library is closing and my computer is still down. So, I hope this makes sense! God bless you all!


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