Today, we celebrate the Visitation of Mary, the Mother of God. This momentous event is a beautiful example of the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as a foretaste of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which we just celebrated a week ago. Therefore it was prefigured and it, in turn, will prefigure something else. This is so important when one desires to get the greater context of scripture so as to understand the spiritual significance of an otherwise isolated event or theme.
The first thing we note, is that in the Old Testament, we see several examples of women visiting one another to share their joys and struggles, and these visits involved women struggling to get pregnant. For example, Sarah visited Rebekah, Abraham's wife, when she was barren and struggling to have children (Genesis 24:67). Similarly, Rachel visited her sister Leah, who was struggling to bear children (Genesis 30:13). These visits were not just social gatherings, but also opportunities for spiritual encouragement and support. Hence, we see the very beautiful human element in the Visitation before going on to the supernatural.
And the supernatural is given to us in spades, perhaps beginning with how it was in the eternal mind of God. To see how extraordinary event this was in Salvation History and dear to God’s heart, we observe how He prefigured it for us in the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was the Old Testament “tabernacle” containing God’s presence. It was made of gold from the outside, but the purest of gold from the inside—always seen as a foreshadowing of the Immaculate holiness of Mary’s sinless womb. The Ark could not be touched by men, under the pain of death, by command of Almighty God.
Both events fulfill prophecy. The Ark's arrival in Jerusalem fulfills God's promise to establish His presence in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:1-5). The visit of Mary to Elizabeth fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1, which speaks of a woman who will bear a son named Immanuel (God with us). The Ark's arrival in Jerusalem and David's dancing, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chronicles 15, are events that prefigure the arrival of Mary to Elizabeth, as described in the Gospel of Luke (1:39-56).
When David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, he was bringing God's presence to the city and establishing it as the capital of Israel. Similarly, when Mary arrives at Elizabeth's home, she is carrying Jesus, the divine presence, within her womb. Therefore, both events initiate joyful celebrations. David danced with all his might before the Lord, and the women sang songs of praise (2 Samuel 6:14-16). Mary's arrival at Elizabeth's home inspires an even more profound celebration, as Elizabeth praises God and recognizes the presence of the Messiah, the God-man, in Mary's womb (Luke 1:46-55).
Both women manifest great humility and obedience. David also, recognized the sacredness of the Ark and treated it with reverence, while Mary is described as a humble servant of God who submitted to God's plan (Luke 1:38).
As we reflect on the Visitation of Mary, we can also see that it is a foreshadowing of Pentecost. Just as Mary carried the divine presence within her womb, so too does the Church carry the divine presence within her members through the Holy Spirit that was promised and in fact sent by the Father and the Son at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples, empowering them to spread the Good News of Jesus to all nations, but he had first filled Mary with his presence so as to bring forth Jesus’ human nature. She gave birth to the tiny babe in Bethlehem, and at Pentecost too, the Church is said to be born… the Church which is the Mystical Body of Christ. Elizabeth's unborn child leaps for joy at Mary's arrival, foreshadowing the joy that will come when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all people at Pentecost.
Moreover, just as Mary's visit to Elizabeth is a moment of mutual support and encouragement as we mentioned at the onset, so too is Pentecost a moment of unity and empowerment among the disciples. The disciples are no longer alone; they are now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and are ready to “bring Jesus” to all nations.
As we reflect on the Visitation, we are reminded that we are not alone in our faith journey; we are part of a larger community that is connected by our shared love of God and animated by his divine wonders in each of our lives. Our day is full of miracles, we only have to pay more attention like Mary did, even if the prodigies worked in her were of singular grandeur.
The Visitation of Mary is a beautiful example of the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is a reminder that God has had a plan from the beginning and wonderfully weaves his wonders into a single tapestry of his explosive love for humanity, whom he created in fact, out of love. Our Blessed Mother, and Elizabeth had front row seats to this marvellous masterpiece unfolding, not only before their very eyes, but within their very wombs. So incredible is this event that it is here that Mary declares and foretells how every subsequent generation would call her blessed because of the mighty works he produced through her, one of the fruits of which was no other and no less than the very God himself who held her in his heart from all eternity. So too, you also, have been held in his heart and will continue to be so, not just for the next few years, but for time without end.
Oh dearest Queen and Consolation of all Christians, Ark of the New Covenant, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
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