Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Good morning. You Never Know What Each Day Brings. In today’s Gospel reading Mary goes into the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth who despite being quite up in years is going to have a baby. For nothing is impossible with God. The prayers of an elderly couple are answered in the Lord giving them a child. Today’s reading says a great deal to us about the need to trust in God, to abandon ourselves to His will for us in our lives. We pray, but do we always pray with the same abandonment and sense of hope Zachariah and Elizabeth display? Like Elizabeth we are aware that God is present in our lives, yet do we truly let go and allow God to be in charge? 

A year ago Linda and I truly came to an awareness of His presence in our lives. He responded to our prayers. In the midst of a night which played out like a dream one is watching from the outside Linda turned to me and implored “Please pray!” I was. I was praying like I had never prayed before. God was with us. He has always been with us. 

One never knows what each day brings but we know that the Lord is here with us. We just don’t always listen. While this situation involving Zachariah and Elizabeth is unique, there is something here that we can all experience, the joy that comes with trusting abandon. The Lord responded to the prayers of Zachariah and Elizabeth. So too He will respond to the prayers of all couples who set their needs before Him. It is of interest that only 1% of marriages where couples pray together wind-up in divorce. 

Reflecting back over our years together we have come to know and appreciate that we did not get to where we are without God helping us, guiding us along the way. It is our faith in God, our commitment to each other, and learning to be grateful for what we have which has made all the difference. It basically falls down to having the same trusting abandon that allowed our Blessed Mother to say “Yes!” and being grateful for each day, each moment we are given with each other. As we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation today let us remind ourselves that if our marriage is based in faith then the disbelief of a secular world cannot pose a threat to us.

Learning to abandon ourselves to God’s providence in our lives and abandoning ourselves to His will is the way to knowing the joy and happiness He intends us to share. So, let go, and come to know and feel the joy that comes from letting go. Thy will be done! Make a great day! 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Magnificat  My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.