When the angel revealed his
message to the Virgin Mary he gave her a sign to win her trust. He told her of
the motherhood of an old and barren woman to show that God is able to do all
that he wills.
When she hears of this Mary sets out for the hill
country. She does not disbelieve God's word; she feels no uncertainty over the
message or doubt about the sign. She goes eager in purpose, dutiful in
conscience, hastening for joy.
Filled with God, where would she hasten but to the
heights? The Holy Spirit does not proceed by slow, laborious efforts. Quickly,
too, the blessings of her coming and the Lord's presence are made clear: as soon
as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting the child leapt in her womb, and she was
filled with the Holy Spirit.
Notice the contrast and the choice of words.
Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary's voice, but John is the first to be aware
of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the
meaning of the mystery. She is aware of Mary's presence, but he is aware of the
Lord's: a woman aware of a woman's presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge
of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the
children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of
the mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons.
The child leaps in the womb; the mother is filled
with the Holy Spirit, but not before her son. Once the son has been filled with
the Holy Spirit, he fills his mother with the same Spirit. John leaps for joy,
and the spirit of Mary rejoices in her turn. When John leaps for joy Elizabeth
is filled with the Holy Spirit, but we know that though Mary's spirit rejoices
she does not need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Her son, who is beyond our
understanding, is active in his mother in a way beyond our understanding.
Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit after conceiving John, while Mary is
filled with the Holy Spirit before conceiving the Lord. Elizabeth says:
Blessed are you because you have believed.
You also are blessed because you have heard and
believed. A soul that believes both conceives and brings forth the Word of God
and acknowledges his works.
Let Mary's soul be in each of you to proclaim the
greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord. Christ
has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith. Every
soul receives the Word of God if only it keeps chaste, remaining pure and free
from sin, its modesty undefiled. The soul that succeeds in this proclaims the
greatness of the Lord, just as Mary's soul magnified the Lord and her spirit
rejoiced in God her savior. In another place we read: Magnify the Lord with
me. The Lord is magnified, not because the human voice can add anything to
God but because he is magnified within us. Christ is the image of God, and if
the soul does what is right and holy, it magnifies that image of God, in whose
likeness it was created and, in magnifying the image of God, the soul has a
share in its greatness and is exalted.
