Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Why does this seemingly ordinary event of two relatives visiting each other have its own feast day in the Church? There were no miracles, nothing that changed the course of human history, no battles, not even a birth or a death. Just two women joyfully greeting one another, one of them breaking into sung praise to God.
But if we look upon this scene with eyes of faith we see something quite remarkable. Remember that centuries ago, during the time of the King Jeconiah and the Babylonian exile, the Ark of the Covenant was taken from the Temple, never to return: the Holy of Holies was empty, and God’s presence was gone. Yet in Revelation we read of a vision of John:
“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple… A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman* clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman* clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child…” (Revelation 11:19a-12:1-2a)
When David had recovered the Ark from the Philistines, it remained for many years in the hill country around Jerusalem, in a town called Kiriath-jearim, in the house of Abinadab (1 Chronicles 13:5, 8). During its transport the cart rocked, threatening to toss the Ark to the ground, but a man named Uzzah put out his hand to prevent this; he died the instant he touched the Ark. Afraid, David said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” (2 Samuel 6:9 ) and so it remained in the house of Obed-Edom for a time, until that fear subsided. Then it was paraded into the holy city with joy and festivity, with David himself clothed only in a priestly apron, dancing joyfully before the Ark.
Now the Ark of the New Covenant—Our Lady—has gone in haste to the hill country to visit Elizabeth, and it is now John leaping joyfully before the Prescence of God as He returns to His people. The wife of David, Saul’s daughter, Michal, looked with disgust upon the king dancing with such abandon and was thus cursed with being childless, representing the end of a failed line. Now Elizabeth, once childless, bearing the last of the prophets within her, rejoices with her unborn son and is blessed thereby. We celebrate today’s feast in order to marvel at “…the great things…” God has done for Mary and for each of us: “…He has come to His people and set them free…” (Luke 1:68).