The Visitation

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: May 31, 2016

I was prepared to write an Imaginary Sermon, having read the Lessons for the Eucharist as appointed in the Book of Common Prayer. But I saw that they have been changed for the Revised Common Lectionary. The Gospel remains the same, fortunately; so does Psalm 113. But the other lessons were better in the old version.

Old Version (BCP):
Zephaniah 3:14-18a
Psalm 113 or Canticle 9
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 1:39-49

New Version (RCL):
I Samuel 2:1-10
Psalm 113
Romans 12:9-16b
Luke 1:39-49

Thus, I will content myself with one observation: On this most beautiful of feasts, “how can we keep from singing?” St. Paul tells us so in the lesson from Colossians: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

The Word dwelt within Our Lady and was immediately recognized by John the Baptist, who was as yet in his mother’s womb. And, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Word dwells within us, individually and as Holy Mother Church, manifesting itself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: “How can we keep from singing?”

Ave Maria, gratia plena:
Dominus tecum.

As ever, the Song does not originate from us. It is He that sings over us, as we read in the lesson from Zephaniah:

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Why do I consider this day to be so beautiful, so important?

From the beginning, there have been long stretches of time where the way is hard, a wilderness without food or water. Israel was in such a time when the events of the first chapter of Luke took place.

There are no signs for us to see;
there is no prophet left;
there is not one among us who knows how long (Psalm 74:8)

When least expected, the Word of the LORD breaks forth, and for a moment we see clearly. Jacob in his dream at Bethel, a stone for his pillow. Moses at the burning bush. The people at the Red Sea, when they crossed on dry ground. Elijah when the fire came from heaven and consumed the offering. Isaiah in the year that King Uzziah died.

And here. Our Lady and Elizabeth.

“How can we keep from singing?” Mary could not: she spoke the Song that has become our song, the song of the Church every evening. “My soul doth magnify the Lord…” It is not without reason that the most beautiful chants of the plainsong repertoire are reserved for the Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Missa Marialis chants of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) among them.

The path would again be hard and narrow. It led Mary’s Son into the desert, and beyond that to the Cross, where even He would cry out “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

But still, even now, there are moments when we see clearly.
How can we keep from singing?