Visitations

By Nancy Shuman

The Visitation by Strueb (Wikimedia Commons)

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is one of my favorite feasts.  On so many levels, it speaks... I would even say it sings... to my life as a cloistered heart.

As we've said in the last few days, Mary visited Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56) because she had BEEN Visited by God.  She didn't go to Elizabeth alone - she went with the Presence of Christ inside her.  As one living "cloistered for Jesus" in the midst of the world, I carry Christ inside me as well.  Oh, not in the same unique way, certainly.  But according to Scripture and Church teaching, I indeed carry Him within.

Mary went on a simple visit to Elizabeth.  It was an occasion that I'm sure went unnoticed by many.  A woman went to visit her kinswoman; something that happened all the time.   No one would have cried out: "look, there goes Mary on mission!" or "how about that!  This visit will be written of in the Bible!"  From the merely human perspective, it was simply a time of normal interaction between two women, two relatives.

And so it is with us. You and I have opportunities every single day to visit people with the presence of Christ.  In the everyday activities of life, we visit family members, neighbors, store clerks, e-mailers, callers on the phone.

I find it extremely helpful when I make a conscious effort to visit these persons with the love of Our Lord.  That is - with an awareness of Christ within me.  I have found that it makes quite a difference in my attitude when I think of things this way.


Continue reading at Nancy's blog The Cloistered Heart.

The babe leaped in her womb

by Michael Incorvia

Thalheimer Altar (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons).

"The babe leaped in her womb" (Luke 1:41) is a verse that I frequently prayerfully meditate on.  John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when he encountered Christ veiled in the womb of the Blessed Mother.  I prayerfully mediate on my struggle to see Christ in all who I encounter.  It is not easy to see Christ in those who cause discomfort in my life.  But, they are ones who bring opportunities to encounter and to be comforted by Christ.

Initially, encounters with Christ may not be comforting.  To approach Christ we must acknowledge our sinfulness and surrender self to follow Him.

It is difficult to see Christ in those who make us face our prideful, self-centeredness.   But, is it not Christ who scatters “the proud in the imagination of their hearts” (Luke 1:51)?  Is it not also Christ who will  “put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree” and who will “filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away” (Luke 1:52-53)?

Christ is present in those who challenge us to step outside of prideful, self-centeredness, to extend mercy to those in need; to think of another instead of self; to be humble and meek and not prideful when dealing with others; and to share what has been freely given with others.  Oh, the number of opportunities lost each day to encounter Christ!


Michael originally posted this at his blog  To Love and Truth.