Wednesday, April 8

Like Mary Did









The story of the visitation is strange for many reasons. A very young girl, Mary, meets an old woman. Both are pregnant. Both feel misunderstood. “What is happening in me?” thought the girl. The young girl’s fiancĂ© is considering a separation. He fears scandal. “How can I take it all this way?” thinks Joseph. Zechariah, the old woman’s husband is struck dumb. Everyone involved are puzzled, confused ... somewhat lost.

"The Visitation" is a true-life situation. I have thought over it many times. Can I accept a similar situation? The girl to whom one is betrothed is suddenly found pregnant! I understand Joseph... and how broken Mary would be! Inauguration of an unexplained, untimely pregnancy would be a nightmare to any teenager. What will the girl tell her parents? How will she face the world? Her friends... will they understand her? Will her parents dismiss it as a sheer nonsense!

Leaving behind a gossiping town, Mary rushes to her cousin, an old women. Elizabeth is surprised seeing Mary and is filled with the Holy Spirit... surprised and filled with God.

"The visitation " story is a confluence of two simple souls touched by Grace. On their meeting, their wombs go jubilant; their hearts overflow with joy and peace. Two oppressed souls suddenly finds their place in time... they burst into a jubilant celebration of their unique status in human history. "The world shall call you Blessed" says Elizabeth to Mary. The oral tradition of the Luke's Gospel narration tells us the explosion of this excitement.

The Song of Mary is the song of every oppressed soul. Years before Karl Max, this humble girl seem to have spoken for God ' sending the rich empty away ' .

Can I understand better way of sharing, caring and loving than the way of visitation? Can I get away from
places where I am not understood and move to areas where I am accepted and understood? Then I can come back, later, to the ‘market place’ and face the world better with a new trust and integrity... face the world better even to the foot of the cross. Like Mary did.





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Followers