Luke
1:39-56
At
that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in Judea's hill country. There
she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's
greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. In a loud voice she called out, "God has blessed you more than
other women. And blessed is the child you will have! But why is God so kind to
me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon as I heard the sound of
your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. You are a woman God has blessed.
You have believed that what the Lord has said to you will be done!"
Mary said,
"My soul gives glory to the Lord.
My spirit delights in God my Savior.
He has taken note of me
even though I am not important.
From now on all people will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
He shows his mercy to those who have respect for him,
from parent to child down through the years.
He has done mighty things with his arm.
He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest
thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones.
But he has lifted up people who are not important.
He has filled those who are hungry with good things.
But he has sent those who are rich away empty.
He has helped the people of Israel, who serve him.
He has always remembered to be kind
to Abraham and his children down through the years.
He has done it just as he said to our people of long
ago."
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she returned home.
Food
for thought!
Today,
we mark a feast known as the Visitation of Mary, that is, Mary's visit to
Elizabeth. Why should we mark and celebrate such an event? Why mark Mary's
visit to Elizabeith? Well, because Mary's visit marked Elizabeth. The gospel
says: «When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby inside her jumped. And
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she called out, 'God
has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have!
But why is God so kind to me? Why has the mother of my Lord come to me? As soon
as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby inside me jumped for joy. You are
a woman God has blessed. You have believed that what the Lord has said to you
will be done!´»
When
Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth did not, and could not, stay the same; she
was remarkably marked: «As soon as I heard the sound of your voice, the baby
inside me jumped for joy.» Mary made such a positive impact on Elizabeth that
«the baby inside her jumped», that «Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit»,
that Elizabeth «called out, God has blessed you more than other women. And
blessed is the child you will have.»
There
are people in life whose presence mark us, people who have marked us with their
presence. There are people whose presence make the best, not the worst, come
out of us. Just as there are people whose presence make the worst, not the
best, come our of us. The former make us make the best of us; the latter make
us make the worst of us. There are people in whose company we easily lower our
morals, and there are people in whose company we better our morals; there are
people in whose company we easily sin, just as there are people in whose
company we stay good and do good. I don't know where you belong to others. But
I know where Mary belongs; she is of the good people who help others be good
and do good, for as soon as she showed up, Elizabeth got filled with the Holy
Spirit, and Elizabeth began to say, not bad, but good things. Mary's presence
positively impacted on Elizabeth.
The
gospel reading of today is about you and me; it is about impact. You know from
experience, don't you, that if three equally well-qualified candidates present
themselves for a job, the successful one will, generally, be the one who
impacts the interviewers best. You know, don't you, that good CVs matter,
experience matters, but good personal impact not only matters but matters most,
because it allows us to stand out and to rise above our colleagues.
This
personal impact is called many names, such as rapport, authority, likeability,
magnetism, attractiveness, radiance, charisma, or personal chemistry. I prefer
calling it the «Marian effect». It is the kind of impact that marks and makes
the others be their best. Are there people who have marked and made you be and
do your best? These people are your Marys. Are there people whom you have
marked and made be and do their best? These people are your Elizabeths. Have
you ever been Mary to anybody? Are you Mary to anybody? Could you be Mary to
anybody? By Mary's intercession, I pray that you do. Amen.
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