Artist: Meister von MeßkirchImage from Wikimedia Commons
This morning's gospel reading tells us about an occasion known as the Visitation:
When they meet and Elizabeth recognizes in Mary something beyond the ordinary, something revealed to her through the Holy Spirit, she calls Mary "the mother of my Lord." She blesses Mary for believing in God's promises, in the fulfillment of "what was spoken to her by the Lord." It is a time of ecstasy for both of them....They are two related women who are filled with the Holy Spirit and are delighted at the reality of the children in their wombs. In her hymn of praise to God, Mary focuses on what matters to her, a poor young woman who is obedient to God and who recognizes her humble origins. She senses that in her, in the promise of her child, in the words of God's messenger, something good is happening--not only to her but to other human beings.* It is the humble who are being raised.
* It is those who feel awe before God their maker that are shown mercy.
* The powerful are brought down.
* The lowly are lifted up.
* And the hungry are fed.- from a sermon by Katerina Whitley
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Sometimes I wonder if the men who wrote the Gospel didn't put that in so women would remember to be obedient and humble. Maybe I am just being cynical.
ReplyDeleteCould be, LKW.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I've often considered Mary's visit to Elizabeth to be a profoundly feminist narrative. It's about women supporting each other.
That's a better interpretation that you have. If I were a teenager, unmarried and pregnant I would certainly welcome a lot of support. You know at Elizabeth's age she need support too!
ReplyDelete