Nicole Berlucchi, Writer on a Mission

Image used with permission of Tribe of Many Arrows.
Check them out on Etsy: TribeofManyArrows – Etsy.

For the month of October the “That We May Imitate What They Contain and Obtain What They Promise” series will take a daily look at one mystery of the Rosary and how we have the opportunity to imitate it and rejoice in what it promises us.

Today, we look at the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary: the Visitation.

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.

And Mary said,
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my savior
For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
And holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age
To those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
Dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
But lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
The rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
Remembering his mercy,
According to his promise to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
Mary remained with her about three months and then returned home. Luke 1:39-56 (NABRE)

The Visitation raises the stakes because now we have dynamics happening between four instead of two, Elizabeth, Mary, John the Baptist, and Jesus—this mystery unveils the roots of evangelization in the New Testament. Let’s take a look at what can be imitated in this beautiful mystery.

1. Recognize when Jesus is compelling you to serve others. Mary did not take her important role as an opportunity to turn inward, to focus on Jesus in the womb and nothing else. She took it as an opportunity to turn outward. Jesus was compelling her to do what He would do. Go to the relative who has finally conceived after much waiting, after thinking no babies would come. Go to the relative who will know and understand all that has happened. He helps His mother know from His Incarnation that He has come to serve. There can be times where I feel like I’ve done enough already. I don’t feel obligated to make the meal, make the phone call, go on the visit, but what I must recognize is sometimes Jesus asks me to do those things even when I feel I have already given a lot. In recognizing the prompting as from God, I will see the opportunity to serve as Jesus served.
2. Enter in with others and be present. When the passage reads of Mary entering the house and greeting Elizabeth, I don’t imagine that she walked in and Elizabeth was seated there ready to receive the greeting. I, instead, imagine Mary entering the house and greeting Elizabeth as a way to find her within the house or to get her attention if she is turned and bent over some food or some housework. Mary does not wait outside. She enters in and in entering in, she lets Elizabeth know she is there. Present. When I deliver a meal for a family whether for a new baby or medical issue or some other reason, I am never certain about whether to engage if there is no cooler drop. I have found when I make myself present and ask a sincere: how are you holding up? Are you resting? Could you use a break? A walk? I get a person who is grateful to be seen and understood. It doesn’t take much to give time to be present, even if it’s a short five minutes with a listening ear.
3. Be open and aware of the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Elizabeth had to be open to the Holy Spirit in order to produce such an intense greeting of Mary. The Holy Spirit can move in unexpected ways and if you are open to the Spirit, you could end up calling a friend right when they needed to talk to someone or answering a call you would normally ignore until you got home. The point is to respond to promptings like that. I was driving home and a friend called me needing help with their kids due to a medical emergency. He was acting like he was placing a burden on me by requesting this help. I was like, I’m turning around right now and will come and grab the kids. He later shared that the timing was critical to the medical emergency that was happening and if they had delayed anything trying to get someone else, things might have taken a turn for the worse. I am usually a person who will just take the lead of others  but the Holy Spirit prompted me to take action in this case. You never know how the Holy Spirit might prompt you. Be ready to respond.
4. Speak affirmation of vocation into others’ lives. Elizabeth allows the Holy Spirit to move within her and she proclaims Jesus’ presence within Mary. Elizabeth is a precursor to the precursor, her son, John the Baptist. We know John will become the one preparing people for Jesus’ public ministry. Elizabeth does not hold back, but like St. Gabriel speaks with awe and wonder over Mary and Jesus being in her presence, acknowledging that even her baby understands Who is present. When someone has shown you Jesus, tell them, thank them, show them how they have impacted you. It isn’t necessary, but you are acknowledging not only that person’s goodness, but also God’s goodness in making Himself present through a particular relationship. I sometimes feel silly saying to someone thank you for being the ears or hands or heart of Jesus for me this week but when I set those feelings aside and actually do it, it doesn’t feel silly. When I share that, it feels good. It feels good to say I needed Jesus this week and you brought Him to me through your words and actions.
5. Be rooted in your identity in God and praise Him for it. Mary’s Magnificat at the Visitation is the most perfect song of praise: humble, grateful, pointing to Him, rooted in Him, knowing what she is called to do, knowing she can only do it with Him. She vocalizes her unique place, glorifies God and trusts He will see her through it all. This song/prayer is the most beautiful thing you can offer to God about your own calling—reminding yourself of all God has done and continues to do both in your life and the lives of those around you. When I pray this prayer, I don’t imagine her saying it. I pray it as my own words thinking of how He has worked good in my life in unexpected places, how I have witnessed miracles and how I have watched evil be overcome. Think of similar times in your life and pray this prayer. You will understand how it really helps you embrace your identity in God, remembering His goodness.

Based on how we imitate these mysteries, we can see a great love being cultivated, a love of God and a love of others, so it should not surprise you that the fruit of this mystery is charity. I hope as we consider the many ways we might carry Jesus to others and acknowledge Jesus in others, whether vocally or by serving them, that we will see the virtue of charity growing within us and drawing us closer to the Lord. Obtaining the virtue of charity will help us receive Jesus more humbly and lovingly into our own lives.

Visit Tribe of Many Arrows on Etsy. These images are used with their permission, and I am grateful for these beautiful creations accompanying my reflections this month.