Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
For many of us, we start our day with a morning ritual that likely includes breakfast, cleaning up prayer, making lunch or lunches and then out the door. Sometimes while we are rushing around we get distracted thinking about how the day is going to unfold. This often happens to me in the midst of prayer. Usually by the time I have hit the door at work my persona changes. Perhaps this happens for all of us, we need to be different people at work. The transition for me is that my heart moves into visitation mode. It is a blessing that the day is spent visiting others and allowing the Lord to visit me through the people I meet.
The readings today speak of joyfully receiving the Lord in our midst. Even as the gospel proclaims Mary’s visitation of Elizabeth. The reading also announces the good news that God has visited both of these women who are with child. Elizabeth’s exultation of the Immaculate Conception is a reminder to us as well that we too ought to be open to the visitation of the Lord. This Lord appears in our midst all day if we have the eyes of heart open to encounter Christ in every person. How will the Mother of the Lord or Jesus Himself visit us today?
Mother Mary, like you, help our hearts be open to the Lord’s visitation, so that we to might be God bearers who through our thoughts, words, and actions proclaim Christ. Amen. Alleluia!
Deacon Michael Montgomery