May 31 | Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine you are just a teenager and have just received the most mind-altering, earth-shattering news in the history of the universe. You are going to carry the savior of the world. Today, we are looking at a story that is so integral to our faith that it is celebrated worldwide on May 31st.

We are talking about the Feast of the Visitation. Today, we are zooming in on one specific legendary road trip. This historical event is recorded in the Gospel of Luke, specifically in Luke chapter 1, verses 39 through 47. Let's set the scene. Mary has just found out she is going to be the mother of Jesus. But she also gets a piece of shocking bonus news. Her older cousin Elizabeth is also miraculously pregnant with a boy who will grow up to be John the Baptist.

What does Mary do with this information? As the Gospel of Luke tells us, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah. She heads straight to the house of Zachariah to see her cousin. There are no cars, no paved roads, and no GPS to guide you. Just you, the dusty trails, and an urgent mission. When Mary walks through the door and greets Elizabeth, what happens next is nothing short of awesome. Before Elizabeth can even fully process who is standing in her doorway, her unborn baby, John the Baptist, recognizes that Jesus, who has just been conceived, is right there in the room.

John acts as the ultimate herald, leaping inside his mother's womb to announce the Savior's arrival. Think about how crazy that is. The very first person to announce the good news of Jesus Christ to another person was an unborn child reacting with pure joy. Elizabeth is immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and cries out in a loud voice, Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Does that phrase sound familiar to you? It definitely should. That moment is where we get a major part of the Hail Mary prayer.

Elizabeth is completely blown away by this visit. She asks, And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elizabeth notes that the moment Mary's greeting reached her ears, the infant in her womb leaped for joy. And then Mary responds with one of the most famous and beautiful speeches in history, immediately proclaiming the greatness of God, whom she calls the giver of Every good gift. Her response begins with, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.

This beautiful prayer is known as the Magnificat, and it has been treasured by the Church as the prayer of the Mother of God, still prayed daily today in the Liturgy of the Hours. Think about Mary's reaction. She had the biggest news in the world, and her immediate response was to travel in haste to be with someone else. She didn't make the moment all about herself. She carried Jesus directly to her cousin, and that presence brought massive joy.

You might not be walking through the dusty hill country of ancient Judah, but you do walk the halls of your school, your neighborhood, and your own home. Today, try to go in haste to help someone. Do not wait to be asked. Find a friend who is stressed out about a test, a sibling who needs a hand with their chores, or a parent who looks tired after work, and just show up for them. Bring a spirit of joy into the room with you, just like the joy of the unborn child that first announced the good news.

When you carry joy and love to others by serving them, you are bringing a little bit of Jesus to them, too. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.