A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

The Visitation of  Mary to her cousin Elizabeth is described in the readings for this Fourth  Sunday of Advent. Mary came to help and to give good news  to Elizabeth. It was a wondrous encounter between  these two great, faith-filled women. But I wonder… where  were the men, Joseph and Zechariah? I imagine they were there too, in silence, wondering what  was going on. God also had a role for  them in his plan of salvation.

As I contemplate the Visitation I think of Mary as a sociable woman, and I believe she has not stopped visiting people from her heavenly home. Over the centuries, we hear about these visits, often accompanied by a message of peace and healing.     

For example, in 1531, She visited Juan Diego in what is now Mexico City. Mary, the great missionary, asked  the native people to enter into a relationship with the True God. She also assured  Juan Diego of her maternal love and care for him. The tilma, her picture and roses were indications that this was a real appearance.

In 1858, Mary visited Bernadette with a message of penance and healing, asking the people to come back to God. And the sign was the spring of healing water-a place visited by people from many countries asking for physical and spiritual healing.

 In 1917, she visited Portugal asking the three shepherds to pray and asked people to come back to God.

It is clear  that the message of the Lord conveyed through Mary bore much fruit at the time of her visitations to these humble people, as well as in our world today.