What is the significance of the Visitation of Mary to St Elizabeth?

What is the significance of the Visitation of Mary to St Elizabeth?

Some Catholic commentators have maintained that the purpose of this visit was to bring divine grace to both Elizabeth and her unborn child. Even though he was still in his mother’s womb, John became aware of the presence of Christ, and leapt for joy as he was cleansed from original sin and filled with divine grace.

What happened at the visitation of Mary and Elizabeth?

The meeting of these two women was a joyful and unique event. Both found themselves pregnant in unusual circumstances – Elizabeth in her old age after suffering from infertility, and Mary by the Holy Spirit. At their meeting, John the Baptist leaped in the womb of Elizabeth, and she blessed Mary and the Christ Child.

What is a canonical visit?

A canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view to maintaining faith and discipline, and of correcting abuses. A person delegated to carry out such a visitation is called a visitor.

What is the prayer Mary recited at the visitation?

The prayer incorporates two greetings to Mary recorded in the Gospel of Luke: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee”, and “Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb”.

Why was the visitation important?

The Visitation is an event of salvation history. Elizabeth, a model of the Old Testament, meets the New Testament in Mary’s faith in the mystery of her own destiny. In the Visitation narrative we look to Mary as model of the apostolate of the Church. She brings Jesus and a blessing to the house of Zechariah.

Why is the visitation important to the church?

What is a bishops visitation?

Visitations were conducted either by the archdeacon or bishop, and were originally administrative occasions at which churchwardens were sworn in and asked to report on the morality of the clergy and their parishioners.

What is the story of the visitation?

Visitation, the visit, described in the Gospel According to Luke (1:39–56), made by the Virgin Mary, pregnant with the infant Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, the pregnant Elizabeth felt the infant St. Mary then said the Magnificat (q.v.). …