The Second Joyful Mystery: The Visitation

The following is the ninth of twenty monthly reflections about the Mysteries of the Rosary as they relate to family life.  The mysteries will not be necessarily chronological but presented as they interact with the liturgical year.

            One of the greatest remedies for a messy house that I know is to have visitors.  In my childhood home and current one, nothing lights a fire under the cleaning crew more than people coming to visit.  This, of course, is a natural human response.  We want to welcome our guests well to a presentable environment, and we cannot claim that the demands of family life do not sometimes get the better of our ability to keep our space organized.  However, even when we clean our homes, there is usually a spot or two that remain in disarray but mercifully out of the sight of guests.  Whether under a bed, in a closet, or in an entire room with the door strategically closed, we all know the go-to place when we have run short on time preparing for the guests to arrive.  In our rosary mystery this month, we do not hear about the cleanliness of anyone’s home, but we find out a great deal about the guests who come to visit.

            The Visitation is the story of Mary going to visit her cousin Elizabeth while they are both with child.  Both pregnancies are quite unlikely due to Elizabeth’s age and Mary’s virginity, yet the women have welcomed the visitors inside their bodies and have come together to share their stories and prepare for the new arrivals.  Elizabeth and her baby John give us quite a bit of insight about Mary and her child Jesus.  Exclaiming that Mary and her baby are blessed above all others, Elizabeth also tells Mary that John leapt for joy inside of her at the sound of Mary’s voice.  Indeed, guests of great honor have arrived.

            Our lives of faith are also about welcoming the Guest into our hearts and lives.  I love the image of Jesus knocking at a door with no exterior handle because the door to our hearts is ours to open from the inside.  God still offers us this freedom even when such an important guest is waiting.  Because of our attraction to sin, we are not always ready to welcome Christ as a guest.  Distraction and untidy spiritual lives leave us bereft of the gifts that he offers us with his presence.  Perhaps our relationship with God is in good order overall, but there may be that hiding spot or two that could use our attention.  Just as my parents claimed about housework, a little effort in our spiritual lives each day makes the task of preparing for our visitor more manageable.  However, unlike a physical house that can only be so clean, there is no limit to the graces we can receive by constantly attending to our spiritual house.

            As we approach the end of the liturgical year, we will begin to think more about death, the Second Coming, and our lack of knowledge about the timing of these events.  This is not meant to frighten us but rather to remind us of our limited time on earth and our need to consider the things of lasting value.  It is important that we ready ourselves each day so that when our final day arrives, whether unexpectedly or after a long life, we are ready to welcome Jesus and accept his invitation to live in his Father’s eternal home.