THROUGH THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST RECEIVES THE
MOST SPECIAL GRACES.
WHO could number all the graces and favours showered upon the house of
Zachary, when the Holy Virgin entered it? If Abraham received many
graces for the hospitality he gave to three Angels; if Jacob was the
cause of so many blessings to Laban, an idolater, in whose house he
dwelt; if Lot was saved from the fire of Sodom, for having given
shelter to two Angels; if the Prophet Elias filled with oil all the
vessels of the poor widow who entertained him; if Eliseus raised to
life the son of the Sunamitess his hostess; if Obededom obtained so
many favours from Heaven, for receiving into his house the Ark of the
Covenant--how great and precious must have been the graces and
blessings poured upon the house of Zachary for having lodged for three
months the Angel of the great Council, the Divine Prophet, the real
Ark of the Covenant, Our Lord Jesus Christ inclosed in the immaculate
womb of Mary! Who could understand the Divine sweetness poured into
the heart of Elizabeth during the time of that Divine visitation? How
profound must have been her meditation on the mystery of the
Incarnation, and what thanks must she have offered to God for all the
favours bestowed upon her. But, above all, very special favours were
conferred by Our Lord upon His precursor St. John Baptist.
Firstly, according to the common opinion of the Fathers, St. John
received the use of reason; secondly, from that moment he was
sanctified; and thirdly, he was filled with the knowledge of God and
of His Divine mysteries. Even then he loved his Saviour, he adored
Him, and leaped for joy in His presence, as we learn from Elizabeth
herself, in the words she addressed to the Holy Virgin: _Ecce enim ut
facta est vox salutationis tuae in auribus meis, exultavit infans in
gaudio in utero meo_--'Behold, as soon as the voice of the Salutation
sounded in my ears, the Infant in my womb leaped for joy.'
Such extraordinary joy was not surprising. Jesus Christ, speaking to
the Jews, says: _Abraham frater vester, exultavit ut videret diem
Meum_--'Abraham, your father, rejoiced to see My day.' All the
prophets desired ardently the promised Messiah, and rejoiced that at
His coming their predictions would be fulfilled. We may well believe,
therefore, that St. John rejoiced at the presence of this long-desired
Messiah, in the immaculate womb of the Holy Virgin, Who had come to
visit him and begin the work of Redemption, delivering him from
original sin. It would not have been fitting that he, who was chosen
to prepare the way of the Lord, should, at his birth, bear the stain
of original sin. On this account, therefore, Our Lady repaired to the
house of St. Elizabeth, that the Child, Whom she bore and Who was the
Sanctifier of souls, might, in this visit, purify the glorious St.
John from original sin and sanctify him. This He did with such fulness
of grace that many Doctors are of opinion that he never sinned even
venially. The charity, of which the heart of our glorious Queen was
full, caused her to co-operate in this work of sanctification. No
wonder that she should have been so ardent in love and zeal for the
salvation of men when she bore in her bosom Charity Itself, the
Saviour and Redeemer of the world! All faithful souls should rejoice
when they are visited by our Divine Saviour in the Most Holy Sacrament
of the Altar, or by the interior graces which are so often vouchsafed
them, or by the many inspirations and loving words which He addresses
to them when knocking at the door of their hearts. Under what an
obligation are they not to correspond to so many favours, and with
what care and fidelity should they not fulfil the Most Holy Will of
their Divine Saviour!
O my dear Sisters, Daughters of the Visitation of Our Lady and of St.
Elizabeth, since you have Mary for your Mother, you should have
nothing so much at heart as to imitate her particularly in her
humility and charity. These are the two virtues which especially
animated her when she visited the house of Zachary. Like her, you
should visit, diligently and joyfully, your Sisters, when they are
suffering, and endeavour to aid each other in your spiritual and
temporal infirmities. Be most careful and diligent in those things in
which humility and charity are most required. To be numbered amongst
the Daughters of Our Lady, it is not sufficient to live in a house of
the Visitation and wear the Religious habit. If you would not wrong
such a Mother, you must imitate her in her virtues and the sanctity of
her life. Be careful, then, to conform your life to hers. Be mild,
sweet, humble, charitable, good; magnify Our Lord continually with
her, and be assured, beloved souls, that, if you fulfil your duties
with humility and fidelity during the whole course of your life, you
will, after death, be admitted to the Holy Virgin in heaven, singing,
'_Magnificat anima mea Dominum_.' [1]
[1] As soon as the Most Humble Virgin heard herself praised by St.
Elizabeth, she humbled herself, and referred all the glory to God in
that most beautiful and admirable canticle of the _Magnificat_, which
far surpasses the canticles by the women of the old Law. It is far
more excellent than that of Judith; more beautiful than that of the
Sister of Moses, after the passage of the Red Sea; more sublime than
that of Deborah and Baruch, after the victory gained over the enemies
of the Hebrew people. The canticles of Zachary and of Simeon, with all
those of the Old Testament, cannot be put in comparison with this
Divine Canticle.