A message from Salesian Life and Campus Ministry:

"During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, 'Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.'" –Luke 1:39-45

The Feast of the Visitation is celebrated in the Church on May 31. As our academic year draws closer to its final days, we gathered on Wednesday for a Feast of the Visitation prayer service celebrating Mary and Elizabeth. We reflected on the times we showed up with courage during the school year, trusting and gaining confidence in the knowledge that our loving God is ever present. We honored Mary and Elizabeth as models of faith, kinship, love and virtue.

Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal believed this blessed encounter between Mary and Elizabeth held much meaning, both in relationship and spirit. When the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary was established in 1610, our founders wanted to institute this presence and joy of Mary’s example in her visit to Elizabeth. Initially, the founders envisioned a congregation that would visit those in need, including the sick and the poor. Living out the little virtues as modeled by Mary in her visit to Elizabeth, the Sisters would focus on gentleness and humility, or what Francis referred to as the two virtues “closest to the loving heart of Jesus." Jane and her sisters were known as the “Holy Marys” locally for their visits around Annecy. Today, Visitation monasteries across the world, although autonomous, are united in Mary’s loving example of bringing Jesus to Elizabeth, and in living out the Visitation charism.

With Mary and Elizabeth as our role models, may we remember that we, too, can be Christ carriers in bringing God’s love to others.

Carrying Christ by Ruth Mary Fox

Into the hillside country Mary went

Carrying Christ, and all along the road

The Christ she carried generously bestowed

His grace on those she met. She had not meant

To tell she carried Christ. She was content

To hide His love for her. But about her glowed

Such joy that into stony hearts love flowed,

And even to the unborn John Christ’s grace was sent.

Christ in His Sacrament of love each day

Swells in my soul a little space and then

I walk life’s crowded highway, jostling men

Who seldom think of God. To these I pray

That I may carry Christ, for it may be

Some would not know of Him except through me.

 

Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.

Saint Elizabeth, pray for us.

Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us.

Saint Jane de Chantal, pray for us.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us.

Live + Jesus!

 

Sources: 

Catholic Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB.

Photo credits, Visitation School and Mendota Heights Visitation Archives.

Image credit: Magnificat, Sally Mae Joseph, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.