“Blessed are you who believed”

The Gospel reading for this Sunday, the last before Christmas, is the story of the Visitation, when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth who was experiencing what doctors now would call "Advanced Maternal Age." When Mary arrives and greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth exclaims: "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?" 

These familiar words, some of which are now part of the Hail Mary prayer, show forth both a supernatural knowledge by Elizabeth of Mary's situation and a great humility. Elizabeth, through her son's leaping within her and through the work of the Holy Spirit, recognizes that something special has happened to her relative. This causes her to declare her unworthiness to be visited by so great a woman who carries the Son of God in her womb. Elizabeth ends this particular Gospel reading by saying, "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

As we approach these upcoming holy days, when we celebrate the birth of our Savior and the fulfillment of God's promise of love and mercy to the world, let us pray that our hearts may become more like those of Mary and Elizabeth. May we have hearts filled with a desire to serve, like Mary in her visit to Elizabeth. And may we have hearts attuned to the action of God in our world, like Elizabeth who recognizes God within Mary. For when we recognize God at work and allow that to spur our hearts to love and serve, we too are blessed, for we believe that what the Lord has spoken long ago was and continues to be fulfilled.

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday's Mass? Click here to find the readings.