Proclaiming God's Greatness

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin, Elizabeth, as described in St. Luke's Gospel, (1: 39-57) not only gives us two beautiful prayers, but also another stone in the solid and rich foundation of Marist Spirituality.  Elizabeth's greeting,  "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb",  (Lk 1: 44) now incorporated into the Hail Mary, prompts Mary's beautiful and humble response, now known as the Magnificat. She turn the attention from herself to God:  "My being 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."  (Lk 1: 47-48).  She goes on to praise the works of the Lord who favors the poor and the hungry, filling them with food and sending the rich away empty, knocking the proud and arrogant from their pedestles and raising up the lowly. Mary had come immediately (with haste) to be with her aged cousin to help her before she delivered her son, John the Baptist, and stayed long afterwards, forgetting her own needs.She also came to share the treasure of her own child, with others; the unborn John recognized him and leapt for joy.
As Marists, we follow Mary in her haste to bring Jesus to others, to serve the lowly and help them see their place on the pedestle of God's kingdom, all the while focusing on God's greatness and gifts, not our own. The Visitation Sisters, the Congregation of Notre Dame Sisters, and many others celebrate this as their patronal feast, but it is very much ours as well.  How can we better respond to the needs of others? How can we bring Jesus to them?  How can we proclaim God's mightiness and keep ourselves humble?  May this be a happy and fruitful day spent with Mary and Elizabeth.
Bro. Rene