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“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord
should come to me?” Luke 1:42–43
Elizabeth expressed a beautiful humility in this statement. The
Blessed Virgin Mary had just made a long journey to be with
Elizabeth in her final months of pregnancy. As soon as our Blessed
Mother greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s child, Saint John the
Baptist, leaped for joy in her womb. Elizabeth acknowledges this
and then humbly expresses the fact that she is exceptionally
blessed to have Mary, the mother of her Lord, come to visit
her.
There are many things worth pondering in this visitation of our
Blessed Mother. But try to focus upon the humble wonder and awe
expressed by Elizabeth. “And how does this happen to me, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth was clearly
grateful for Mary’s visit. But it appears that her reaction went
even beyond gratitude. She was given the gift of wonder and awe.
She clearly knew she was incredibly blessed by the fact that both
the Mother of God and her Lord Himself were now in her presence in
her home.
This gift of wonder and awe that Elizabeth experienced is one of
the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. It’s a gift that enters a
humble heart, enabling it to first see its unworthiness of a
special grace given. But then this humble soul receives the special
grace and responds with an overwhelming amazement. Thus, not only
is gratitude present, but there is also this holy amazement that
results in praise of God.
In our own lives, there are so many incredible graces we have
received from God. But too often we fail to see them for what they
are. We fail to see the incredible graces God has given us and,
thus, fail to experience the amazement that should result from
God’s gifts.
As you look at your own life, what graces has God given to you? Do
you see them? Are you grateful for them? And, if so, are you able
to go even beyond gratitude so as to experience a holy wonder and
awe of God’s goodness and blessings in your life? Though it might
be difficult to arrive at this level of amazement, it is a true
gift that we must all strive to obtain and experience every day of
our lives.
Reflect, today, upon this holy gift of the Holy Spirit that
Elizabeth experienced. Place yourself at the scene. Try to see the
experience within her heart. Try to feel how she felt. Try to sense
the praise that resulted. And try to open yourself more fully to
receive this same gift of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Lord
comes to you constantly by grace, especially every time you receive
Him in Holy Communion. For that reason, we must all strive to live
a holy wonder and awe every day of our lives.
My most glorious Lord, You grace me beyond imagination. Too
often, I fail to experience the gratitude and the wonder and awe
that should result. Please help me to first see the countless
blessings of Your grace and presence in my life. And as I see them,
please fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I, too, may continually
sing Your worthy praises. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: The Visitation, via flickr
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