Virgin of Guadalupe(Spanish Virgen de Guadalupe), oil on canvas by Antonio de Torres, c. 1720; in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California.
(Audio)
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
Mary appeared to Elizabeth and John the Baptist leapt for joy. He was already the "friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice" (see John 3:29). Mary was the one who spoke, but the baby in the womb of Elizabeth perceived something more than the greeting of a relative. Why was this? What did he hear? Jesus received his human nature from his mother, and learned language from hearing her speak. There was a sense in which his voice, the voice of the bridegroom, was the voice he chose to receive from his mother. This voice was the first contact of Elizabeth and John with the promised Messiah. It pointed beyond itself to the source contained within.
Mary continues to visit her peoples throughout the ages just as she visited Juan Diego at Tepeyac. She visits us spiritually as well, when we are willing to hear her greeting and welcome her. Her greeting is meant to be a source of joy for us as well, not because of anything she is in herself, but because of the One whose presence she brings.
Mary came to Elizabeth as the ark once came to David. David asked, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?" (see Second Samuel 6:9) just as did Elizabeth wondered at the visitation of Mary. The whole house of Israel celebrated before the ark with songs and instruments. Nothing unholy was permitted to touch it. Mary's presence inspired wonder which was the same but greater. This is what John perceived. This is the invitation to us, the joy that is set before us, if we will receive it.
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Elizabeth showed us how we ought to receive Mary ourselves. This response was characterized by joy, by wonder, and by holy fear. She did not make the mistake of Uzzah who reached out casually to touch the ark. She recognized the elevated position of Mary, the privilege it was to be able to welcome her.
If we receive Mary as Elizabeth did we ourselves will experience the presence of the One whose presence Mary continues to bring to us. Mary doesn't present to us an obstacle to Jesus, since we realize that it is because of Jesus that she brings us joy. Mary herself is the one was the most open to the presence of God, and so God came to the world through her. In our openness to the mother we learn the way to be open to the Son.
Elizabeth learned to welcome the Son because she was able to perceive that Mary was able to be made the mother of the Son by believing that what was spoken to her by the Lord, that it would be fulfilled. Faith was the doorway of which Mary was a living embodiment. It is a doorway she made present to the peoples of Mexico.
See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.
Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,
and they shall be his people,
and he will dwell among you
Mary invites us to listen to the voice of her greeting, to learn to share the song of joy she teaches us, and to embrace her Son with the same faith with which she was the first to embrace him.
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
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