All you who fear God, come and listen: I will tell you all the good he has done for me!

 

All you who fear God, come and listen: I will tell you all the good he has done for me! (Ps 65,16)

The Church ends the month of May with the feast of the Visitation of Our Lady. The Visitation is the meeting of the young mother, Mary, the servant of the Lord, with the elderly Elizabeth, the symbol of Israel that she awaits. Proclaiming the song of the Magnificat, Mary exalts the wonders of the Lord among his people, inviting us to continue her song in praise of the one who extends his mercy from generation to generation. As we celebrate this feast, let us ask that Mary visit our families with her motherly care and help us to be humble and generous servants of the Kingdom.

First Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-18

Reading of Zephaniah's prophecy – 14Sing for joy, city of Zion; rejoice, people of Israel! Rejoice and be glad with all your heart, city of Jerusalem! 15The Lord has revoked the sentence against you, he has removed your enemies; the king of Israel is the Lord, he is in your midst, you will never fear evil again. 16On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, Zion, do not be discouraged! 17The Lord your God is in your midst, the valiant warrior who saves you; he will exult with joy over you, moved by love; he will exult over you with praises, 18as on feast days. I will remove misfortune from you, so that it will never cause you humiliation again.” - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: Is 12

The Holy One of Israel is great among you.

1. Behold the God, my savior, I trust and fear nothing; † the Lord is my strength, my praise and salvation. / With joy you will drink from the fountain of salvation. – R.

2. And you will say on that day: “Give praise to the Lord, † call on his holy name, announce his wonders, / among the peoples proclaim that his name is the most sublime. – R.

3. Praise, singing to our God, who performed wonders and portents, / publish his great wonders throughout the earth! / Rejoice, singing joyfully, inhabitants of Zion, / for the holy God of Israel is great among you!” – R.

Gospel: Luke 1,39-56

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

You are happy because you believed, Mary, / because in you the Word of God will be fulfilled, as he said (Luke 1:45). – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke – 39In those days, Mary left for the mountainous region, heading hurriedly to a city in Judea. She 40entered Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child jumped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42With a loud cry, she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43How can I deserve that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me? 44As soon as your greeting reached my ears, the child jumped for joy in my womb. 45Blessed is she who believed, because what the Lord promised her will be fulfilled.” 46Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my savior, 48because she looked upon the humility of her servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49because the Almighty has done great things for me. His name is holy 50and his mercy extends from generation to generation to all who fear him. 51He shewed the strength of her arm: she scattered the proud in heart. 52He has thrown down the mighty from their thrones and raised up the humble. 53He filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty-handed. 54He helped Israel, her servant, remembering his mercy, 55as he promised our fathers, in favor of Abraham and his descendants forever.” 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months; then she returned home. – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

The feast of the Visitation depicts the episode in which Mary, already pregnant, visits Elizabeth, who has been pregnant for six months. On a human level, it is a simple meeting between the young Mary and the elderly Elizabeth, who waits for the birth of John the Baptist. On the theological level, while carrying her little son, the Messiah, in her womb, Mary becomes a true dwelling place of God and, as such, is revered by her cousin: “You are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ” Then, Mary proclaims one of the most beautiful hymns in the New Testament. From now on, God's home will no longer be built with stones, but with faith, love and hope. The feast of the Visitation of Our Lady, celebrated by the Franciscans at the end of the 13th century, was introduced into the universal calendar by Pope Urban VI, in 1389.

(Day by day with the Gospel 2024)