Rev. AndreaGrace reflects:
There are many things that make me crazy about the Catholic Church – this religious family into which I was born and whose culture is interwoven in the generations of my own family.
AND there are many things I treasure about the Catholic Church. One of them is Feast Days – days we pause and remember and celebrate.
Today is one of those days – The Feast of the Visitation – when we remember a Divine Encounter between two Jewish women – Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her cousin, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.
The Feast of the Visitation is even more special because it’s my sister’s birthday. The story of Mary and Elizabeth resonates in my life with my sister. When I reflect on the gift who my sister is, I know that she makes the world a better place, in part, because she provides “visitation moments” for so many women, from all walks of life. I also treasure my own older cousin who has sharead many visitation moments with me.
I’ve been prayerfully pondering The Visitation story in preparation for a retreat on Monday. The Faithful 15 who lead the BeLoved Inclusive Catholic Community will be meeting to reflect on our year and where we understand the Holy One is leading our Community. We will use The Visitation story to center our time together. Please keep us in your prayers.
This morning, I was led to write this prayer-poem. May it touch your heart and lead you to reflect on and give thanks for your own journey, the people with whom you’ve had visitations and the moments you have shared.
The Visitation – the visitations: A Prayer Poem
penned by Rev. AndreaGrace on May 31, 2024
The Visitation
remembering when Mary,
pregnant with Jesus,
went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth,
pregnant with John the Baptist
The joy
the visitations
remembering all the times
that I have visited with
the women (and men) in my life
the joy we have experienced
the quiet joy
the times we laughed so we wouldn’t cry
and the times we laughed so hard we did cry
from age to age
led by the Spirit
filled with the Spirit
transfigured to carry the Spirit
the story is the same
their story – our story
two women deeply connected
heart to heart
the expanding circles of love
that provide safety nets and
launching pads
the mature and the young
the believers
the impossible becoming possible
the power of “sisters”
generous hospitality
sharing a transformative season of our lives
witnessing
praising
comforting and questioning
affirming and strengthening
looking back
being present
hoping for tomorrow
planting seeds for their children
and their children’s children
a deepening faith through their own experiences
and sharing those of others
moments to pause
that draw us and
elevate us
more fully into the Holy
that was then
this is now
Would you like to go deeper?
Read the story in the Christian Bible, Luke 1: 39-52.
You can find different versions of the Bible at BibleGateway.com and on their app. I often use The Message which has updated the original language to our contemporary words, offering a different understanding.
Pray with The Magnificat – Hannah and Mary’s Prayers
In the Jewish Scriptures, we read about Hannah who became miraculously pregnant with the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1). After his birth, she offers a prayer that becomes a model for a prayer (1 Samuel 2) that Mary offers during the Visitation. Catholics call Mary’s prayer, the Magnificat.
Consider Hannah and Mary’s Magnificats and prayerfully write your own!
Pray with this contemporary version of a Magnificat by Miriam Therese Winter that acknowledges The Divine Feminine.
She Who has power to open the womb
has done great things for me.
Holy is Her name.
Her mercy flows
through mother to daughter
from generation to generation.
Her maternal strength
strikes at the root of evil,
and it departs.
She pushes the proud
from the pinnacles of power
and lifts up little people.
She feeds her hungry daughters,
but those who are filled to the brim
with opportunity,
She sends away.
She soothes all those who turn to Her,
remembering Her compassion,
keeping Her promise to Her progeny forever.
Pray with Pictures
This blogpost has two very different images of The Visitation. Are you drawn to one? Sit with the image, breathing in the Spirit and noticing what comes to you.
Pray with Music
The Visitation Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU3cuBJn3UM
We Shall be Known https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLUQmJsu0Jk
Canticle of the Turning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QeTmRCpW4
My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoctQStetNQ
Magnificat Songs – search on Spotify or YouTube. There are several. Which do you prefer? Why?
Pray with Others
Reach out to the people with whom you’ve had visitations and thank them!
Forward this blogpost to a "Mary or Elizabeth" in your life.
Invite someone over to your home to share about your spiritual journeys.
Plan a trip with another Spirit-filled woman.
Share with the Divine
Thank the Holy One for the stories of our ancestors, the people with whom we’ve had visitations, the visitations themselves.
Considering praying for more Spirit-filled companions and more soul-filling moments.
Write a letter to God or a journal entry about a "Mary or Elizabeth" in your own life or a visitation moment you have had.
AndreaGrace,
I love your very intimate visitation message and am grateful for your always joyful Spirit.
Blessings,
Christina Homer