The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth | Luke 1:39-45 with Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ and Fr. Jim Willig

Fr. Jim Willig reflects on the Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth, highlighting Mary’s faith, obedience, and perseverance during her journey to Elizabeth. Through this reflection, he invites us to recognize the Spirit’s stirring in our own lives and embrace the hope and renewal offered by the Advent season.

from Luke 1:39-45
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah, 
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb, 
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 
cried out in a loud voice and said, 
“Blessed are you among women, 
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Read the full scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122224.cfm

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Transcript

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The holiday season is such a busy time for all of us. I think most of us would admit to feeling overwhelmed by And yet, for that very reason, I think it’s even more important Advent invites us into this reflection and helps us prepare Today’s Gospel is part of what’s known as the infancy narratives, You may know that only two of the four Gospels—Matthew and And they are told in a way that sets the stage for the entire Biblical scholars often describe the infancy narratives as a Much like a prelude to a book or musical composition, they offer We can already sense that in today’s familiar story of the The Gospel tells us that Mary set out in haste to the hill It’s worth noting that this was no short journey! From Nazareth in Galilee to Ein Karem, where Elizabeth lived, Imagine how much longer it must have been along the winding Most scholars believe this journey would have taken about Now keep in mind, Mary was in her first trimester. Many women would say this is one of the hardest times physically, And yet, Mary makes this journey. It was far from ideal timing. Traveling back then wasn’t safe, especially for a woman traveling Mary probably joined a caravan, which came with its own You can imagine the difficulties of traveling with a Mary’s journey wasn’t just a physical one; it was a journey She trusted in God as she visited her cousin Elizabeth. What’s most striking is that this visit is the first meeting It’s a moment that marks the beginning of a whole new age in Think of it as crossing a bridge from the Old Testament to the Moving into a new covenant of hope. These two unborn children—Jesus and John—are at the center of When Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, her baby leaps in her At that time, many in Israel believed the Spirit of God had People thought God was withholding His Spirit because But Luke shows us that the Spirit is now being poured out Elizabeth’s words, Who am I that the mother of my Lord should Her baby leaps for joy in her womb, and she proclaims, Blessed This moment isn’t just about Mary and Elizabeth; it’s about Have you ever had a moment when your heart just leaped, when you Maybe it’s when you’re in the presence of someone holy, That’s the kind of encounter Elizabeth has with Mary, and