REFLECTION:
Many parishes have a daily community rosary in the month of October. With each
“Hail Mary” we pray, not only the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel
but also the greeting of Elizabeth to Mary at the Visitation. Elizabeth,
ins­pired by the Holy Spirit, addressed Mary as “blessed.”
She felt so bles­sed that the Mother of God had come to visit her even as her own baby John
in her womb “leaped for joy”.
Indeed, to have Mary visit you is cause for great joy! She is “The Cause of our Joy”
because she always brings her Son with her. Where the Mother is, there also is her Son,
the Divine Word!
The woman in the crowd in today’s Gospel heard Jesus preaching and naturally, like most mothers,
declared that his mother must be very “blessed!” In her gut feeling she concluded that Jesus had learned much from his mother.
Jesus acknowledges the woman and accepts her accolade for his mother,
Mary, but also further adds another dimension to the bles­sedness of Mary, namely,
that she was a woman who received the Word, not only in her womb but also in her life
(as St. Augustine tells us).
What a beautiful prayer is the Hail Mary! Surely, not only is Mary most pleased with the prayer,
but equally pleased with this prayer must be Jesus, the Son of Mary and the Holy Spirit,
the Spouse of Mary! Come then, let us pray with joy “The Hail Mary!”

© Copyright Bible Diary 2020