Stirred to yes

The text today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary proclaim the joy and peace which the people of God are invited to experience through living in recognition of the Presence of God in their midst. The texts from the Hebrew Testament, in Zephaniah and Isaiah, announce rejoicing and joy that the Great and Holy One of Israel is among us! Ken Reed-Bouley reflects on a “black Madonna” painting of the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth which is described by Luke in the Gospel today. Some traditions trace the development of this Gospel to conversations between Luke and Mary as the Evangelist painted a picture of Mother and Child which became known as the “black Madonna”. The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is significant to Christians in many real and symbolic ways. Friar Jude Winkler begins his commentary with the surface example of hospitality as a fundamental action when we seek to include others in as Jesus did. The “yes” of Mary is the establishment of Incarnation of the Divine as human. This is the Church, the people of God who live in and with Jesus. Throughout history, when Mary moves into lives or countries or places of distress, she carries Jesus and she invites our recognition that the joy of her proclamation to Elizabeth, known as the Magnificat (Luke 1.46-55), is the statement that the anawim of Yahweh are brought to our attention and the Divine Presence resident in the Ark of the Covenant lives in Mary. Our faith is stirred and we respond like John the Baptist, in the womb of Elizabeth and become open to declare our “yes” to God to live within the Son.