Why is this so? Our text says, “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy” The Catechism notes that “John was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” [Lk 1:15, 41] by Christ himself, whom the Virgin Mary had just conceived by the Holy Spirit (CCC 717).
Luke tells us he has based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:2). Furthermore, according to our text the Holy Spirit inspired the words spoken. Luke writes, “Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice.” Finally, the very nature of discipleship implies that Jesus passed on his teaching to his inner circle of followers who would succeed him in leadership and in turn pass on his teachings to their disciples. Catholics have never believed in "the Bible alone," because the Bible can only be understood, in the light of the discipleship of Jesus’ successors. In fact, the Church existed before the Bible and created the Bible.
As Paul said to his disciple Timothy, “What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim 2:2).
Over time, and after much reflection, the Church has handed down, four great truths about Mary
- The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
- Mary the Mother of God
- The Immaculate Conception
- Mary’s Assumption into Heaven
These are not four opinional beliefs for Catholics. We cannot order these truths like lattes in tall, grande or venti cups, with your choice of milk. The church has defined these four doctrines at the highest level of truth.
Regarding Mary’s perpetual virginity, we believe that she was a virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus, or perpetually. We do not have time to unpack all the details of this here. [More here and here] Earlier in this chapter, Mary responds to the Angel Gabriel who announces her pregnancy, saying, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” (Lk 1:34). At a bare minimum, this affirms Mary’s virginity, but the unusual Greek may imply she intends to stay a virgin. This is of course a point that Protestant scholars are quick to deny.
Mary was pondering what sort of meaning the Angel Gabriel’s words might have (1:29). Earlier in verse 28, Mary learns that she is full of grace, yet to unpack this we need to understand that the Greek means the one already having been transformed by grace in the past.
God has already prepared her through his grace and made her holy, so that she can become the Mother of our Lord. The formal doctrine of the Immaculate Conception teaches that God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception. This teaching is really just an elaboration on the meaning of this verse (Luke 1:28) and it explains why there might be something more to Mary’s virginity.
The conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb will occur when the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High overshadows Mary (1:35). The same word overshadow (episkiasei) was used to refer to the Shekinah cloud, manifesting God’s presence, that rested on the tabernacle in Exodus and numbers. (Exodus 40:34–35; Numbers 9:18; 10:34). The tabernacle was the holiest place, and the place where God would literally dwell among his people.
Turning to our reading today, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit calls Mary, “the mother of my Lord.”
Mary will be the mother of Jesus who we understand to be the Christ and the Son of God. One seemingly clever bishop in the fifth century named Nestorius, suggested Mary is the Mother of the human person Christ, but not of the person of God. He thought we should call Mary the mother of Christ and not the Mother of God. Eventually the Council of Ephesus condemned Nestorius. As it turns out, you cannot give birth to a nature but only to a person. Since Christ has two natures in one person, it is appropriate to call Mary the Mother of God. [More on the title of “Mary the Mother of God,” or Theotokos]
Regarding Mary’s perpetual virginity, we believe that she was a virgin, before, during and after the birth of Jesus, or perpetually. We do not have time to unpack all the details of this here. [More here and here] Earlier in this chapter, Mary responds to the Angel Gabriel who announces her pregnancy, saying, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” (Lk 1:34). At a bare minimum, this affirms Mary’s virginity, but the unusual Greek may imply she intends to stay a virgin. This is of course a point that Protestant scholars are quick to deny.
Mary was pondering what sort of meaning the Angel Gabriel’s words might have (1:29). Earlier in verse 28, Mary learns that she is full of grace, yet to unpack this we need to understand that the Greek means the one already having been transformed by grace in the past.
God has already prepared her through his grace and made her holy, so that she can become the Mother of our Lord. The formal doctrine of the Immaculate Conception teaches that God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception. This teaching is really just an elaboration on the meaning of this verse (Luke 1:28) and it explains why there might be something more to Mary’s virginity.
The conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb will occur when the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High overshadows Mary (1:35). The same word overshadow (episkiasei) was used to refer to the Shekinah cloud, manifesting God’s presence, that rested on the tabernacle in Exodus and numbers. (Exodus 40:34–35; Numbers 9:18; 10:34). The tabernacle was the holiest place, and the place where God would literally dwell among his people.
Turning to our reading today, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit calls Mary, “the mother of my Lord.”
It is very likely that Elizabeth is recognizing that Mary is the mother of the Messiah or king. Elizabeth’s greeting is, therefore, giving Mary the title of Queen mother. Again, as I pointed out already, Elizabeth is speaking by the Holy Spirit. The idea of a queen mother is not very familiar to most of us.
In ancient Israel, it was not the king’s wife, but the king’s mother who reigned as queen. Most kings in this period had large harems of wives. King Solomon, perhaps the most egregious example, had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3).
It would have been impossible to bestow the title ‘queen’ on 1,000 women! On the other hand, since each king had only one mother. The king's mother was considered the ‘queen’ or ‘queen mother’.
Elizabeth’s greeting acknowledges this. “Most 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?” (Lk 1:42–43).
Since Mary is the grace-filled all holy, ever virgin, Mother of God, and Queen mother, whom God has prepared his vessel, how could she remain on this earth? We believe that at the end of her life she was assumed bodily into heaven.
What can our hearts learn from this? First Mary is the model disciple. Mary pondered these things in her heart. She says, “May it be done unto me according to your word!”and "Do whatever he tells you!"
We have an exquisite example of faith and trust in God. Further, after his death, Jesus has entrusted Mary to each one of us, “Behold you Mother!” (John 19:27).
In today’s Gospel, a barren old woman and a young virgin are both with child. The Angel Gabriel says concerning Elizabeth’s pregnancy. “For with God nothing will be impossible. (Lk 1:37). Elizabeth says of Mary, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:45).
Following the example of Mary, God desires humility and docility to his will from each one of us. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38).
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