The Visitation

Secular presentation

The second joyful mystery

Six months earlier, God had it in mind to impact on another life.  This time it was Elizabeth, Mary's cousin.  But Elizabeth's 'miracle baby', isn't conceived by God.  Her baby is a miracle because Elizabeth was known to be past child-bearing age.  She'd always wanted a child, so being pregnant now is a real blessing for her - albeit a surprising one!

Mary goes to visit and help her much older cousin Elizabeth.  As they meet, Elizabeth's husband Zachariah holds up his hands in greeting - he can't say hello, because he's been struck dumb as a temporary punishment!  This is a result of his encounter with the same Angel as came to Mary six months later!  On the face of things Zachariah hadn't done anything wrong.  He'd been praying to have a son..  Out of the blue, the Angel had appeared to him and told him his prayer would be answered.  But Zachariah hadn't believed the Angel - even though you don't meet angels every day, and this one had scared him profoundly!  The temporary punishment was for his lack of trust in God, but it would be lifted when the baby came.

However this meeting between Mary and Elizabeth has gone down in the records for another reason.  It's because God takes control!  Elizabeth's baby senses the Divine baby inside Mary, and leaps with excitement in Elizabeth's womb.  Elizabeth is moved by God to recognise what this means and bows to her younger cousin, suddenly realising that Mary is the mother of a truly Divine baby.

Mary reacts, not by lording it over anyone, but simply by praising God.

The artist has shown Joseph in the scene too, to remind us that he stood by Mary, even though she was having someone else's baby! He'd had a visit from the Angel too, but it was less scary because this time it was in a dream - the Angel explained everything!  Needless to say Joseph trusted what he was told, so he's there for Mary and her Baby - who he effectively adopts as his own son.