Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Readings:
Zephaniah 3:14-18A or Romans 12:9-16
Isaiah 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6
Luke 1:39-56
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name YHWH (Yahweh).
God revealed His divine plan for humanity's salvation in the two Testaments. That is why we read and relive the events of salvation history contained in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: The Blessed Virgin Mary Visits
Her Kinswoman Elizabeth
Immediately after the angel Gabriel told Mary that God chose
her to bear the promised Davidic Messiah (Lk 1:31-32), Mary set out to visit
her kinswoman Elizabeth. The angel had revealed to Mary that Elizabeth was
pregnant with a son (Lk 1:36). It was a sign to confirm for Mary that what the
angel told her about conceiving a son by the power of the Holy Spirit while
still a virgin was true. If God could do the impossible by placing a new life
in the womb of a barren woman well past childbearing age, there should be no
doubt about the miracle of Mary's pregnancy because Mary's God was the God of
the impossible!
In Isaiah's hymn of jubilation in the First Reading, the Church sees Mary at the Annunciation. The Virgin Mary is the image of the redeemed daughter of Jerusalem. She is the humble virgin invited to rejoice in the Lord and not to fear because the Lord, her Savior, is with her (Lk 1:20, 28, 47). In the Incarnation of God the Son, the Lord fulfilled His promise to Isaiah when He came to dwell among His people. He ultimately brought the salvation as promised in Isaiah's hymn. Christ, the Savior, renewed the old covenant people of God in His love through a new and eternal covenant that gave the gift of eternal salvation.
In the alternate First Reading, St. Paul addresses the Christian's obligation of love and service which must extend to those within and outside the Church, giving advice that is both practical and challenging. Paul urges Christians to always be sincere in offering the same consideration and courtesy to each person regardless of social standing. In this regard, Jesus and His mother stand as our models of Christian behavior. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, taking the impure and transforming them by the force of His holiness. Mary submitted her life to God's divine plan in faith and trust without knowing where His plan would lead her. These are the examples we must follow. We must trust God with our lives, and we must not allow ourselves to conform to those in sin with whom we come in contact. In treating sinners with the same respect, love, and consideration with which we treat others, we are showing them the light of Christ living in our lives and giving them a model of behavior that can lead to their salvation.
In the Responsorial Psalm from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, the prophet proclaims God as his Savior. The Virgin Mary, a daughter of Zion (the Old Covenant Church), also proclaimed God as her Savior in her canticle of praise (Lk 1:47). She is the symbol of the New Covenant Church that is both the fruitful bride and ever virgin. She is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and from the altar of the Cross, Jesus made her the mother of every "beloved disciple" who "keeps God's commandments and bears witness to Jesus" (Jn 19:26-27; Rev 12:17B).
The Gospel Reading, after the angel's announcement of the Incarnation of the Christ (Lk 1:26-38), Mary immediately set out to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, wife of the priest Zechariah, who the angel said was also expecting the birth of a son. At the sound of Mary's voice, the child in Elizabeth's womb leaped with joy and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed Mary the mother of God! In response, Mary offered God a canticle of praise that included a prophecy for all future generations and her relationship to them saying, "behold, from now on will all ages [generations] call me blessed" (Lk 1:48B). This prophecy requires action on the part of all Christians whose obligation is to honor Mary just as her Son honored her according to the fourth commandment and because of His love for her. The command to honor one's parents is the only one of the Ten Commandments that carries a promise (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16). When Jesus gave Mary into the care of the "beloved disciple" as his mother at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:26-27), she became the mother of every "beloved disciple" of Jesus Christ in every generation who keep God's commandments and bear witness to Jesus (Rev 12:17B). So today, remember Mary's journey and honor the Mother of God who is also your mother and your model of faith, obedience, and holiness.
The First Reading Zephaniah 3:14-18A ~ Yahweh's Promise
for a Restored Jerusalem
14 Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.
16 On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you,
18A as one sings at festivals.
Zephaniah Chapter 3 begins as an oracle against Jerusalem and her leaders (3:1-5). Then, in verses 6-8, Yahweh speaks, telling Jerusalem that His punishment inflicted on her neighboring nations should have been a warning to make Jerusalem mend her sinful ways (verses 6-7), but she has stubbornly persisted in doing evil (verse 7). In verses 9-20, Yahweh is still speaking, but there is a change in focus of His message from destruction to salvation. God's punishments are always meant to be redemptive, and restoration of covenant fellowship and salvation is always God's intention.
In our reading, the promise of salvation becomes a hymn of jubilation. Yahweh is Jerusalem's Savior. He has removed His penalty of divine judgment (verses 14-15). It is time for joy and not fear because the Lord God, the Divine Savior, once again graces Jerusalem with His Presence, renewing the people with His love (verses 16-18A).
The Church sees in these verses the scene of the Annunciation. The Virgin Mary is the image of the redeemed daughter of Jerusalem. She is the humble virgin invited to rejoice in the Lord and not to fear because the Lord, her Savior, is with her (Lk 1:20, 28, 47). In the Incarnation of God the Son, the Lord fulfilled His promise to Isaiah when He came to dwell among His people. He ultimately brought the salvation as promised in Isaiah's hymn. Christ, the Savior, renewed the old covenant people of God in His love through a new and eternal covenant that gave the gift of eternal salvation.
Alternate First Reading Romans 12:9-16 ~ The Christian Obligation of Love and Service
[Brothers and sisters]
9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;
10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.
11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.
In these verses, St. Paul addresses the Christian's obligation of love and service which must extend to those within and outside the Church. Paul's advice is both practical and challenging. In Romans 5:1-11 and 8:31-39, Paul wrote of our love for God and God's love for us using the Greek word for spiritual love, agape. Agape is one of several Greek words which Christians gave a uniquely Christian character. Agape to the Christian expresses the same kind of self-sacrificial love with which Christ loved each of us and commanded us to love one another (Jn 15:12). It is a love expressed most deeply in His Passion and death on the Cross. But now in this passage, Paul is writing of "agape/love" expressed as agape anypokritos, which is "genuine love" or "sincere love," expressing the distinctive self-sacrificial character of Christian love as a rule of life within the faith community. It is a love that is not passive but vital and active. St. Paul uses the same phrase, agape anypokritos, in 2 Corinthians 6:6 and St. Peter uses it in 1 Peter 1:22.
Paul begins this section of his letter with what seems to be
a near-impossible command: 14 Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse
them.
Jesus taught on this subject in Matthew 5:43-44 and
Luke 6:27, 35, and His teaching is clear: we are called to love our enemies for
the sake of God's merciful love for us.
Paul gives some practical advice concerning those who rejoice and those who suffer in verse 15. His advice is an example of the saying that "actions speaking louder than words," especially in the case of someone who is experiencing grief. What words can we offer if we haven't experienced the same form of suffering? In those cases, it is better to offer our tears and our prayers. Paul's advice is similar to St. Francis of Assisi's instructions on preaching the Gospel: "Preach the Gospel always and when absolutely necessary, use words."
The focus of Paul's instruction in verse 16 is to always be sincere in offering the same consideration and courtesy to each person regardless of his social standing. In this regard, Jesus and His mother stand as our models of Christian behavior. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, taking the impure and transforming them by the force of His holiness. Mary submitted her life to God's divine plan in faith and trust without knowing where His plan would lead her. These are the examples we must follow. We must trust God with our lives, and we must not allow ourselves to conform to those in sin with whom we come in contact. In treating sinners with the same respect, love, and consideration with which we treat others, we are showing them the light of Christ living in our lives and giving them a model of behavior that can lead to their salvation.
Responsorial Psalm Isaiah 12:2-3, 4BCD, 5-6 ~ A Song of
Thanksgiving
The response: Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
2 God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.
3 With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.
Response:
4BCD Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.
Response:
5 Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth.
6 Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!
Response:
Isaiah's hymn expresses thanksgiving to Yahweh who is the people's Savior. The canticle of praise expresses joy from all parts of Israelite society:
In verse 2, Isaiah describes the joy the redeemed sinner knows because of God's great work on his behalf that inspires both trust and gratitude. God is the source of salvation; therefore, each member of the covenant people knows he can trust God and not fear Him. The line from verse 2 is similar to the Song of Victory that Moses and the Israelites sang after the miracle of the parting of the Sea of Reeds/Red Sea and their deliverance from the Egyptians: My strength and my courage is the LORD [YHWH], and he has been my savior (Ex 15:2). Isaiah's hymn of praise recognizes God's deliverance of His people as another miracle akin to the Sea of Reeds/Red Sea miracle.
In verses 3-5, Isaiah changes the focus to the entire covenant community praising God for bringing them water at the fountain of salvation and Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name. To acclaim or proclaim his deeds to the people is from Psalm 105:1, a psalm that recounts the active work of God in the history of Israel. The wording water at the fountain of salvation is significant. The source of water for the covenant people came from the River Jordan, from many streams, from underground well-water, and from the collection of rainwater in cisterns. However, the best and freshest water was from natural springs. In the canticle, the people compare the gift of God's salvation to the freshest and best water like the "living" or "flowing" water from natural springs. In John 4:4-14, Jesus offered the Samaritan woman "living" or "flowing" water (from the Greek word zoe that Jesus used and which means both "living" and "flowing"). The woman took Jesus' meaning to be "flowing" and was confused since well-water is not flowing. But Jesus told her the water He was offering her was "living water," and whoever drank this water would never thirst again because the "water" Jesus gives is the water that "will become in him a spring of water, welling up for eternal life." Jesus was referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Baptism by water and the Spirit (Jn 3:3-5).
In verses 4-5, the people are grateful for God's works on their behalf. They proclaim His marvelous deeds to their people and the nations of the world. In verse 6, the tense suddenly changes to the feminine singular, and Zion, the symbolic word for Jerusalem and the covenant people as a whole, is personified as a woman. The Old Testament symbolically represents "Zion," as God's virgin bride. This imagery may account for the feminine singular in this verse. With the restoration of His people, God will reestablish His relationship with Israel as His faithful bride. God becomes one with His people in the covenant bond of faithfulness symbolized like the covenant bond between a bridegroom and his bride in marriage. Jesus used this same symbolic imagery, referring to Himself as the "Bridegroom" (Mt 9:15; Lk 5:34-35).
The Virgin Mary, the daughter of Zion (the Old Covenant Church), proclaimed God as her Savior in her canticle of praise (Lk 1:47). She is the symbol of the New Covenant Church that is both the fruitful bride and ever virgin. She is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and from the altar of the Cross, her Savior-Son made her the mother of every "beloved disciple" who "keeps God's commandments and bears witness to Jesus" (Jn 19:26-27; Rev 12:17B).
The Gospel of Luke 1:39-56 ~ The Virgin Mary Visits Her Kinswoman Elizabeth
39 During
those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of
Judah, 40 where she entered
the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped
in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me that
the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the
infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed
are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
46 And Mary said: "My soul
proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my
spirit rejoices in God my Savior. 48 For
he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages
call me blessed. 49 The
Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is from age to age to those
who fear him. 51 He has
shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. 52 He has thrown down the rulers from
their thrones but lifted up the lowly. 53
The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent
away empty. 54 He has
helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, 55 according to his promise to our
fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." 56 Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
After the angel's announcement of the Incarnation of the Christ (Lk 1:26-38), Mary immediately set out to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, the wife of the chief priest Zechariah, who the angel said was also expecting a birth. Mary probably joined a caravan traveling to Jerusalem when she made the 7-8 day journey from Nazareth in the Galilee to the hill country of Judea and the town of her kinswoman. According to a Christian tradition that predates the Crusades, Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in the Judean town of Ein Kerem located about four miles west of Jerusalem. After the return from the Babylonian exile, the Book of Nehemiah records that the chief priests took up residence in or near Jerusalem. Only the descendants of Moses' brother Aaron could serve at Yahweh's altar as chief priests; Elizabeth and husband were both descendants of Aaron (Neh 11:3; Lk 1:5).
Elizabeth was in seclusion for the first five months of her pregnancy as the ancients counted without the concept of a zero place-value (Lk 1:24; see Wis 7:1-2). It is now the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy (Lk 1:36) when Mary traveled to visit her (the 5th month as we count). The Holy Spirit probably prompted Mary's desire to visit her kinswoman. However, the visit will also allow her the opportunity to share her experience with someone who will understand, and it will be confirmation that what the angel told her concerning her kinswoman and herself is the truth.
When Mary entered her house, and Elizabeth first heard Mary's voice (Lk 1:40), the fetus of St. John the Baptist, recognizing the presence of his Lord, leaped for joy within his mother's womb (Lk 1:41, 44). The unborn St. John's response to Mary and the Christ within her womb recalls God's words to the prophet Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you" (Jer 1:5). Think of the horror of abortion that is taking place daily as babies, personally known by God from the womb and given as His holy gift, are violently murdered before birth.
In Elizabeth's Holy Spirit inspired greeting to Mary, she gives three blessings in verses 42-45:
Elizabeth's third blessing for Mary: "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled," is given in contrast to Elizabeth's husband Zechariah's unbelief when the same angel told him that his elderly, barren wife was to bear a child (Lk 1:19). Mary is the first Christian. Her belief does not waver during the years of Jesus' ministry or His Passion. She is present at the birth of His New Covenant Church, faithfully praying with the disciples who believed and waited for the coming of the Paraclete in the Upper Room after Jesus' Ascension (Acts 1:13-14).
Joyfully Elizabeth asks, "And how does this happen to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Bible scholars, both ancient and modern, have seen the similarity of Elizabeth's rhetorical question in Luke 1:43 and King David's rhetorical question in 2 Samuel 6:9 when he said: "How can the Ark of the Lord come to me?" speaking of the Ark of the Covenant that was the dwelling place of God among His covenant people. They saw Elizabeth's question as an intentional comparison between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant (see the chart on The Virgin Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant). Verse 56 appears to confirm a significant comparison where Mary stayed in Elizabeth's house in the Judean hill country for three months just as the Ark stayed in the Judean hill country house of Obed-edom for three months in 2 Samuel 6:11.
When Elizabeth refers to "my Lord" in verse 43 and to "the Lord" in verse 45, her reference is to God the Son (verse 43) and God the Father (verse 45). Elizabeth proclaims Jesus' divinity when she calls Mary "the mother of God." It is by the strength of Elizabeth's statement, prompted by the Holy Spirit, that the Council of Ephesus declared Mary not only the "Mother of Jesus" but also the "Mother of God" in 431 AD. In CCC 495, the Church teaches, "Called in the Gospels 'the mother of Jesus,' Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as 'the mother of my Lord.' In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly 'Mother of God' (Theotokos)." Also see CCC 466, 495 and 509.
From what Elizabeth professes in verse 45, she not only knows what the angel Gabriel told her husband but also what Gabriel told Mary. This knowledge was imparted to her by the Holy Spirit in the moment of her joy. For other references to the expression "fruit of your womb" (verse 42) in Scripture see Deuteronomy 7:13 where God promised to bless Israel for covenant obedience: He will love and bless and multiply you; he will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your soil... Also see Psalms 127:3, Children too are a gift from the LORD [YHWH], the fruit of the womb, a reward that suggests rejecting the birth of a child is to reject a gift from God. St. Paul wrote that when a woman embraces motherhood, she offers God a good work that counts toward her salvation (1 Tim 2:15).
In Luke 1:46-56, Mary offers a beautiful hymn of praise in response to Elizabeth's exclamation of praise for Mary's belief and the honor God has shown her as "the mother of the Lord." It is known as the Magnificat and divides into three parts:
Mary begins by calling God her personal Savior. The word "Lord," Kyrios in Greek, is understood to be Yahweh who is the source of Mary's blessing and her salvation. The expression "rejoices in God my Savior" is an echo of Hannah's hymn of praise to God in 1 Samuel 2:1. In verse 48, Mary says: "For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed." The NJB translation has "he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant" which is an echo of Habakkuk 3:18. Her humble station is the first reason for Mary's praise. She declares that because of God's divine plan for her life and her willingness to submit to that plan, all generations will pronounce a blessing over her; the verb makariousin is in the future tense and reflects the adjective makaria that Elizabeth used in verse 45.
In verse 48, Mary utters a prophecy for all future generations and her relationship to them prompted by the Holy Spirit when she says "behold, from now on will all ages [generations] call me blessed." This prophecy requires action on the part of all Christians whose obligation is to honor Mary just as her Son honored her according to the Law and because of His love for her. The command to honor one's parents is the only one of the Ten Commandments that carries a promise (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16). When Jesus gave Mary into the care of the "beloved disciple" as his mother at the foot of the Cross (Jn 19:26-27), she became the mother of every beloved disciple of Jesus Christ in every generation (also see Rev 12:17). So today, remember Mary's journey and honor the Mother of God who is also your mother and your model of faith, obedience, and holiness.
Catechism References:
Romans 12:9-13 (CCC 1971),
12:11 (CCC 2039*),
12:12 (CCC 1820),
12:14 (CCC 1669*, 2636*)
Isaiah 12:2-3 (CCC 2561*)
Luke 1:41 (CCC 523*, 717*, 2676),
1:43 (CCC 448*, 495, 2677),
1:45 (CCC 148, 2676),
1:46-55 (CCC 722*, 2619*, 2675*),
1:46-49 (CCC 2097*),
1:48 (CCC 148*, 971, 2676*),
1:49 (CCC 273, 2598, 2807*, 2827*),
1:50 (CCC 2465*),
1:54-55 (CCC 706*),
1:55 (CCC 422*)
Michal E. Hunt Copyright © 2016; revised 2018