During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
The coming of the Kingdom of God on earth began with the birth of Jesus which inaugurates the final stage of God’s plan of salvation for mankind. The angel Gabriel had told Mary that her aged relative Elizabeth, who was past childbearing age, was pregnant. It confirmed that what he told Mary would come to pass because “nothing will be impossible for God (Lk. 1:35-37).” Mary hurriedly set out for the hill country where Elizabeth lived. Both Mary and Elizabeth were having children profoundly blessed by God even before they were even conceived. Zechariah was told by the angel Gabriel that his son John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb and he would turn the children of Israel to the Lord their God (Lk. 1:15-16). When John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, Elizabeth praised Mary and joyfully acknowledged the blessedness of the Lord in Mary’s womb, the Messiah who will feed all who hunger for righteousness (Mt. 5:6).
Zechariah asked for a sign and did not get one. Mary did not ask for a sign and got one (Lk. 1:36). Luke contrasted the doubt and punishment of John’s father Zechariah (Lk. 1:18-20) with the faith and obedience of Mary (Lk. 1:38). The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you (Lk. 1: 28),” and Elizabeth’s response to Mary, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (v. 42),” form the first part of the Hail Mary – Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. The "Hail Mary" is a traditional Christian prayer that is predominantly associated with Catholicism.
Almighty God, your amazing grace has healed and saved many who were lost and could not find their way. May the Holy Spirit grant us the understanding given to Elizabeth so that our hearts will leap for joy at the wonder of your works. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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