The Lord be with you. A reading of the holy gospel according to Saint Luke. Now you have to in order to get the grasp of this event today, just remember, when whatever this Let's begin again. Something extraordinary happened when a Jewish girl up in the North Country got a message that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. She became a virgin mother.
She was told that her cousin Elizabeth, who was advanced in age, who had been known to be sterile, was now well on in her pregnancy. Mary left the North Country and went down to Jerusalem, and then went to the house of Zechariah, which isn't far from Jerusalem. To greet her cousin Elizabeth, who was known to have been sterile, and now was in her old age, and pregnant. That's where we take up the story of Luke. And I wish you to keep those facts in mind.
So, Mary set out. You see, remember she asked the angel. And the angel said, look, you're going to become a mother and so forth. Mary said, how is this going to happen? And the angel said, your cousin Elizabeth is pregnant.
If you want a motive of credibility, there it is. But what did Mary do? She goes down to see whether her cousin is going to be a mother or not. So, she wasn't a gullible little girl. So, Mary set out proceeding in haste into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zachariah, who was an old man, and greeted Elizabeth her cousin.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out in a loud voice, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me? The moment that your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby in my womb stirred for joy. Blessed is she who trusted that the word Lord's words into her would be fulfilled.
Then Mary said. This is the Magnificat. And no English translation does it justice. I want to point out that Latin begins Magnificat, Animamea. Notice what the English begins with.
My being. You get the difference? Means it is praised, is magnified, it is made big. The English begins with little old me. Big difference.
So, Mary said in this English translation, my being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit finds joy in God my savior. For he has looked upon his servant in her glorious. All ages to come will call me blessed. God, who is mighty, has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm. He has confused the proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their throes, and raised up the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every good thing, while the rich he has sent away empty. He has upheld Israel, his servant, ever mindful of his mercy.
Even as he promised our fathers, promised Abraham and his descendants forever. Mary remained with her cousin Elizabeth about three months, and then returned home. And this is the gospel of the Lord.