The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Luke 1:45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.

On this feast day, as Mary rushes off to visit her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country, both women miraculously pregnant, one rather old and one quite young, I remember how important it is to share important news with someone who will respond with compassion. This scene shows the women simply giving themselves to one another. Neither questions what could be going on here. Neither demands nor offers explanations. They both simply respond to one another with joy, uttering nothing but praise to God, and then stay together for a good long while.

The Bible is filled with stories of God’s promises, which are often given in the face of difficulty, doubt, and long odds. We may worry about believing them. We might fear looking gullible or silly or not very smart to those around us. 

Like Mary and Elizabeth, when we are in community with others who truly love us, we find both joy and strength in the sharing of what we dare to believe.

For the month of June, I am the meditation writer for Forward Day by Day. I will post some but not all of them. But you can read the devotions each day online here.