Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
May 31, 2022
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.”
And Mary said:
“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 for ever.”
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
Reflection
We live in a world of harried social interactions and divided attention, characterized by what Pope Francis calls a “throw-away culture.” The recently leaked Supreme Court draft ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade has heightened these paradoxically anxious and apathetic feelings as many respond in anger and fear. But today’s encounter between Mary and Elizabeth stands out and offers us a vision of how we might imagine a positive post-Roe society.
Mary sets out “in haste” to visit Elizabeth. Pregnant herself, she does not undertake the 90+ mile journey for a quick “hello,” a cup of tea, and a half-hearted, “how are you?” No, she goes in haste to remain. One in shared purity of heart, their joyous greeting slips seamlessly into a shared adoration of God. Amid the drama of this long-awaited encounter, steeped in rich theological meaning, it’s easy to forget that Mary remains with Elizabeth for three months.
We might wonder what these two women did during these moments together. Daily work? Preparation for the birth of Elizabeth’s long-hoped-for child? I imagine it included moments of deep conversation—the kind that can only occur when time is not counted, measured, and given provisionally with hesitation under the weight of other pressures.
The life of grace, Trinitarian life, is possible when we abide with one another, transforming time into a space for joy. This is what an authentic culture of life might look like if we emulate two features of the Visitation: Mary’s haste and her remaining with Elizabeth.
This urgency, leisure, haste, and faithfulness mark the emotionally rich and demanding discipline of profound encounter and extended accompaniment. Such a spiritual discipline is the key of the Sisters of Life, who accompany young women through unexpected pregnancies and maintain a presence in their lives long after.
These sisters partnered with the McGrath Institute’s Office of Life and Dignity to develop the INTO LIFE series, which shares the gift of their ministry of encounter and accompaniment with the Church.
Let us pray to share in this charism of Visitation for a world aching for the embrace of Mary’s maternal love.
Prayer
God of compassion and strength, visit us and give us the hope of your Spirit dwelling within and around us. Help us to trust in the relationships of our lives that reveal to us your abiding love and lasting peace. Enliven us to always trust in your presence, especially when we embrace our brothers and sisters in joy, as did Mary and Elizabeth. Grant this through Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
When the angel Gabriel declared to Mary that she would bear God’s son, the angel also told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, had conceived as well and was six months pregnant. “Mary set out,” writes Luke in his Gospel, “and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk 1:36-56).
Elizabeth exclaimed upon seeing Mary, and her child, John the Baptist, leapt in her womb. The words Elizabeth used when she recognized Mary’s role in our life of faith are remembered in the “Hail Mary” prayer: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s praise is captured in what we call the “Magnificat.” This hymn of praise to God is among the oldest hymns in the Church, and it is repeated in prayer every evening in the liturgy of the hours because it proclaims Mary’s faith in God, which is also ours.
The Visitation—this moment of greeting between the two pregnant cousins—is depicted in stained glass in Walsh Hall and in sculpture outside of the Eck Welcome Center on campus.
Relics from both Mary and Elizabeth rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, including a piece of Elizabeth's house and a portion of clothing that Mary wore.
On this feast of the Visitation, let us join Mary and Elizabeth to proclaim the greatness of God!
The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.