The Feast of the Visitation and of the Magnificat
by Father Mathurin of the Mother of God Each year on the second of July, the Church celebrates the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Her cousin Elizabeth. It was on the occasion of this visit that Mary sang the beautiful canticle of the Magnificat, a hymn of gratitude that we find in the Holy Gospel. Saint Luke relates the event as follows: “In those days, Mary set out and went with haste into the hill country, to a town of Juda. As She was entering Zachary’s house, She greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child in her womb (Saint John the Baptist) leaped. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb! And how have I deserved that the Mother of my Saviour should condescend to come to me? The moment I heard the sound of Thy greeting, the child leaped for joy in my womb... And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and My spirit hath rejoiced in God My Saviour; because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed. Because He who is mighty hath done great things to Me, and holy is His Name; And His mercy is from generation unto generation to those who fear Him. He hath shown might with His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their throne, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy: as He promised our Fathers, Abraham and his posterity forever.” 1 In this beautiful canticle, Mary tells us immediately, simply, why God looked upon Her and had Her become the Mother of God: because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. The Blessed Virgin does not deny what Saint Elizabeth observed. You have seen the great thing that God has worked in Me: He has made Me the Mother of God because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. These words of the canticle are very strong. They are the words of the Blessed Virgin Herself. This is the only prayer of Her own composition that we have, a prayer composed when She was alive on this earth. And at once She gives all the glory, praise and thanksgiving to God for the great work He has wrought in Her. Henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed, She says. She does not say, “It is because I was conceived without sin,” though it is very true that the Blessed Virgin was conceived without sin. She does not say, “It is because I have never offended God,” though it is also very true that She had never offended God in any way. No, She gives thanks to God: He who is mighty has done great things to Me, and holy is His Name. And Mary tells us the reason for this divine choice: Because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. My dear brothers and sisters, I would like to draw a little parallel here. God also has great designs of love and mercy upon His children of the earth. He has asked for a new Work, a great Work: the Work of the Redemption of His Church. He wants to make each Christian a saint, a servant of God, another Christ. God wants to perform this great transformation in each one of us, He wants to come to the rescue of His Church... And the condition required for this great work to be performed is humility. And in a humble soul, there is gratitude for so many benefits received from God. It is the will of God that you be saints, 2 says the Apostle. Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, 3 says Jesus in the Gospel. That is what God wants to do in each one of us, provided there is humility. I am not speaking only to the religious and the priests, but to all of you, dear friends, dear children. When God gives life, when He creates a human being, it is for the purpose of living on in that child. He wants to manifest Himself in that child. He wants to make something great out of that child, He wants to make it His servant, another Christ. Saint Paul, humble and faithful, was able to say in all truth, It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. 4 There would be much to say concerning this beautiful canticle of the Magnificat and all the lessons that can be found in it. But today I would like to especially draw your attention to the duty of gratitude. Instead of complaining, my brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to God when, for example, He permits events that hurt our pride. If we would only thank Him instead of contesting and complaining about this person and that, what rapid progress we would make in the love of God! If we saw the hand of God, who wants to embellish us by means of various instruments in order to draw us closer to Himself, we would thank Him very clearly. It is God Himself who is working at our sanctification, who is taking control of our cause. Let us stop resisting and crying, and let us give thanks to God for EVERYTHING: sorrows, joys, contradictions, etc. Let us be souls of gratitude toward God and also toward our neighbor, and we can be sure that we will draw down His graces of choice.
1.
St. Luke 1:39-55.
2.
Cf. St. Paul, I Thessalonians 4:3.
3.
St. Matthew 5:48.
4.
Galatians 2:20.
1.
St. Luke 1:39-55.
2.
Cf. St. Paul, I Thessalonians 4:3.
3.
St. Matthew 5:48.
4.
Galatians 2:20.
The Feast of the
Visitation and of the
Magnificat
by Father Mathurin of the Mother of God Each year on the second of July, the Church celebrates the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Her cousin Elizabeth. It was on the occasion of this visit that Mary sang the beautiful canticle of the Magnificat, a hymn of gratitude that we find in the Holy Gospel. Saint Luke relates the event as follows: “In those days, Mary set out and went with haste into the hill country, to a town of Juda. As She was entering Zachary’s house, She greeted Elizabeth. As soon as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the child in her womb (Saint John the Baptist) leaped. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Blessed art Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb! And how have I deserved that the Mother of my Saviour should condescend to come to me? The moment I heard the sound of Thy greeting, the child leaped for joy in my womb... And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and My spirit hath rejoiced in God My Saviour; because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed. Because He who is mighty hath done great things to Me, and holy is His Name; And His mercy is from generation unto generation to those who fear Him. He hath shown might with His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their throne, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy: as He promised our Fathers, Abraham and his posterity forever.” 1 In this beautiful canticle, Mary tells us immediately, simply, why God looked upon Her and had Her become the Mother of God: because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. The Blessed Virgin does not deny what Saint Elizabeth observed. You have seen the great thing that God has worked in Me: He has made Me the Mother of God because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. These words of the canticle are very strong. They are the words of the Blessed Virgin Herself. This is the only prayer of Her own composition that we have, a prayer composed when She was alive on this earth. And at once She gives all the glory, praise and thanksgiving to God for the great work He has wrought in Her. Henceforth all generations shall call Me blessed, She says. She does not say, “It is because I was conceived without sin,” though it is very true that the Blessed Virgin was conceived without sin. She does not say, “It is because I have never offended God,” though it is also very true that She had never offended God in any way. No, She gives thanks to God: He who is mighty has done great things to Me, and holy is His Name. And Mary tells us the reason for this divine choice: Because He has regarded the humility of His handmaid. My dear brothers and sisters, I would like to draw a little parallel here. God also has great designs of love and mercy upon His children of the earth. He has asked for a new Work, a great Work: the Work of the Redemption of His Church. He wants to make each Christian a saint, a servant of God, another Christ. God wants to perform this great transformation in each one of us, He wants to come to the rescue of His Church... And the condition required for this great work to be performed is humility. And in a humble soul, there is gratitude for so many benefits received from God. It is the will of God that you be saints, 2 says the Apostle. Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect, 3 says Jesus in the Gospel. That is what God wants to do in each one of us, provided there is humility. I am not speaking only to the religious and the priests, but to all of you, dear friends, dear children. When God gives life, when He creates a human being, it is for the purpose of living on in that child. He wants to manifest Himself in that child. He wants to make something great out of that child, He wants to make it His servant, another Christ. Saint Paul, humble and faithful, was able to say in all truth, It is now no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. 4 There would be much to say concerning this beautiful canticle of the Magnificat and all the lessons that can be found in it. But today I would like to especially draw your attention to the duty of gratitude. Instead of complaining, my brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to God when, for example, He permits events that hurt our pride. If we would only thank Him instead of contesting and complaining about this person and that, what rapid progress we would make in the love of God! If we saw the hand of God, who wants to embellish us by means of various instruments in order to draw us closer to Himself, we would thank Him very clearly. It is God Himself who is working at our sanctification, who is taking control of our cause. Let us stop resisting and crying, and let us give thanks to God for EVERYTHING: sorrows, joys, contradictions, etc. Let us be souls of gratitude toward God and also toward our neighbor, and we can be sure that we will draw down His graces of choice.
