Whence Is This to Me?
Saturday, May 31st Readings Reflection: Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is also the anniversary of St. John the Baptist’s Baptism, as he was baptized in the womb when Mary greeted her cousin, St. Elizabeth. At that moment, Elizabeth “cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the [F]ruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:42-43 DRB). We repeat the first line each time we pray the Ave Maria, or Hail Mary. The second line from Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary also contains a profound meaning and reminder for us today.
Elizabeth’s question was not one of ignorance or even curiosity but was instead a profound rhetorical confession of faith. St. Ambrose explains that Elizabeth knew by grace that she was meeting the mother of God. He continues: “[B]eing aware that this was of no human deserving, but a gift of Divine grace, she therefore says, Whence is this to me, that is, By what right of mine, by what that I have done, for what good deeds?” (Catena Aurea).
These same thoughts should be in our hearts whenever Our Lord comes to us in the Blessed Sacrament. In parishes that are blessed to have an altar rail, Christ quite literally comes to us as we wait kneeling at the rail. Our reception of Holy Communion is not due to any merit of our own but rather the infinite love and mercy of God, Who, upon His Ascension, chose to remain with His Church by a hidden—yet no less real and physical—means.
Today is traditionally a double Marian feast: The Feast of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, and the Feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces. These feasts fittingly coincide with the new liturgical calendar’s observance of the Feast of the Visitation, thereby giving us a triple Marian feast to end the Month of Our Lady. Just as Our Lady brought her Son to Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist at the Visitation, she seeks to lead us to her Son. Before receiving Holy Communion, St. Therese would ask Our Lady to remove the sticks and stones in her heart so that it would be a soft and welcoming place to receive her Son. This is a beautiful devotion that recognizes both the need for the soul to be free from sin in order to receive Holy Communion and Our Lady’s great role in leading us to her Son.
On this wonderful Marian feast, as we prepare to enter the Month of the Sacred Heart, may we ask Our Lady to keep our hearts always pure so that we may receive her Son in Holy Communion worthily and that our receptions of Holy Communion may conform us more and more to Himself.
Amen!!!