Vigils Reading – Visitation of BVM

THE FULLNESS OF GRACE

From the encyclical Redemptoris Mater by St John Paul II6

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Immediately after the narration of the Annunciation, the Evangelist Luke

guides us in the footsteps of the Virgin of Nazareth towards “a city of Judah”.

Mary arrived there “in haste”, to visit Elizabeth her kinswoman. The reason for

her visit is also to be found in the fact that at the Annunciation Gabriel had made

special mention of Elizabeth, who in her old age had conceived a son by her

husband Zechariah, through the power of God… The divine messenger had

spoken of what had been accomplished in Elizabeth in order to answer Mary’s

question: “How shall this be, since I have no husband?”. It is to come to pass

precisely through the “Power of the Most High”, just as it happened in the case

of Elizabeth, and even more so.

Moved by charity, therefore, Mary goes to the house of her kinswoman.

When Mary enters, Elizabeth replies to her greeting and feels the child leap in

her womb, and being “filled with the Holy Spirit” she greets Mary with a loud

cry: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

….

While every word of Elizabeth’s greeting is filled with meaning, her final words,

would seem to have fundamental importance: “And blessed is she who believed

that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord”

.

These words can be linked with the title “full of grace” of the angel’s greeting.

Both of these texts reveal an essential Mariological content, namely the truth

about Mary who has become really present in the mystery of Christ precisely

because she “had believed”. The fullness of grace announced by the angel

means the gift of God himself. Mary’s faith, proclaimed by Elizabeth at the

Visitation, indicates how the Virgin of Nazareth responded to this gift…

Indeed, at the Annunciation Mary entrusted herself to God completely,

with the “full submission of intellect and will”, manifesting “the obedience of

faith” to him who spoke to her through his messenger. She responded,

therefore, with all her human and feminine “I”…. By accepting this

announcement, Mary was to become the “Mother of the Lord,” and the divine

mystery of the Incarnation was to be accomplished in her… Mary uttered this

fiat in faith. In faith she entrusted herself to God without reserve and devoted

herself totally as the handmaid of the Lord to the person and work of her son.

And this Son – as the Fathers of the Church teach – she conceived in her

mind before she conceived him in her womb: precisely in faith! Rightly

therefore does Elizabeth praise Mary: “And blessed is she who believed that

there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” These

words have already been fulfilled: Mary of Nazareth presents herself at the

threshold of Elizabeth and Zechariah’s house as the Mother of the Son of God.

This is Elizabeth’s joyful discovery: “The mother of my Lord comes to me”.

6 Published by the United States Catholic Conference, Washington, DC; ’12ff.13