Mary, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist teach us the fundamentals of worship in today’s gospel. John, the very first to worship Jesus, teaches us that joy is the primal response to a personal encounter with Christ. The infant leaped for joy within his mother’s womb at the nearness of God. Does the nearness of God make my soul leap for joy or do I miss it because I’m too consumed in my own issues? Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cries out in full voice, “Blessed are you among women and blessed of the fruit of your womb!” When Jesus reveals Himself to me, do I welcome the Holy Spirit in so that I can declare Him blessed above all with full confidence, faith, and trust? When people recognize Jesus within me, do I have the gracious heart of Mary to proclaim that it has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the bigness of God’s love and mercy? Do I have the humility to acknowledge how God works in my life and in the world?
The heart of worship is: the leaping of joy within our souls at the nearness of God, welcoming the Holy Spirit with enthusiasm, confidence, faith, and trust, so that God’s glory be proclaimed with full voice, humble gratitude for the workings of God’s love among us, a song to express it all, and don’t forget communion with one another. This one visitation of these faithful women gives us the very essence of how to praise the Lord in all things. In Psalm 34:3, David sings, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.” Worship is the act of magnifying God. Magnification allows us to look deeper, wider, and bigger into the heart of God. Mary, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist get it.
Who helps you magnify the Lord? Who do you run to when life is overwhelming? Who recognizes Christ within you and tells you about it? Who sings your heart song back to you? This summer I had the privilege of meeting an amazing man named Ed. Ed was in hospice and very close to seeing Jesus when I met him. He was the head of maintenance at my friend’s summer camp for 25+ years and was apparently a pretty gruff guy. He had a heart of gold, but his surly exterior gave everyone a different impression. He loved their Christian camp and their family fiercely, but was not a professed fan of Christ or anything “religious”. Six weeks or so before I met him, he accepted Jesus into his life and it changed everything. Ed became a praying man, a worshiping out loud man, and a man that leaped for joy at the presence of Jesus. Ed did two tours in Viet Nam as an Army Ranger so he was in the thick of it to say the least. Whatever kind of cancer he had literally ate half of his face away. His speech was extremely compromised and understanding him was difficult at best. When I was introduced to him, the first words out of his mouth and in perfectly clear speech were, “You’re gorgeous!” It made me blush in the moment, but as I pondered it I realized what a profound experience that moment was for me, and I think it answers the questions I posed in the beginning of this paragraph. I think it is its own Visitation story. Ed died a few days after I met him, but my encounter with a transfigured man changed me forever. Here’s the part of the story that melted my heart:
He Called Me Gorgeous
For Ed
He called me gorgeous, and in the moment
I was gorgeous because I was looking at him.
His was the face of Christ.
This face was not what you would expect…
it was not handsome, or stunning, or perfect or whole.
In fact, it was broken, worn out, and misshapen.
This face was not what you would expect to be the Savior of the world,
but, indeed, there was a Savior looking back at me,
and he called me gorgeous.
Eyes of love found a treasure in me that had been buried without a map.
Eyes of mercy pointed the compass directly into my hiding and
he called me gorgeous.
He called me gorgeous and for the first time in forever, I felt gorgeous.
Sweet Jesus, with half a face, knew that Ed would be the one to convince me
and so he called me gorgeous.
For once I couldn’t run, I couldn’t hide, I couldn’t say no.
Ed would be the one to convince me and he called me gorgeous.
On the doorstep of heaven, he called me gorgeous,
and in that moment I was gorgeous because I was looking at him.
Ed would be the one to convince me.
Ed would be the one.
Ed would be.
Ed would.
Ed.
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mass During the Day
Lectionary: 622
Reading 1 RV 11:19A; 12:1-6A, 10AB
God's temple in heaven was opened,
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One."
and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.
Then another sign appeared in the sky;
it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,
and on its heads were seven diadems.
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky
and hurled them down to the earth.
Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,
to devour her child when she gave birth.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod.
Her child was caught up to God and his throne.
The woman herself fled into the desert
where she had a place prepared by God.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have salvation and power come,
and the Kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed One."
Responsorial Psalm PS 45:10, 11, 12, 16
R.(10bc) The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father's house.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
The queen takes her place at your right hand in gold of Ophir.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear,
forget your people and your father's house.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
So shall the king desire your beauty;
for he is your lord.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
They are borne in with gladness and joy;
they enter the palace of the king.
R. The queen stands at your right hand, arrayed in gold.
Reading 2 1 COR 15:20-27
Brothers and sisters:
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for "he subjected everything under his feet."
Mary is taken up to heaven;
a chorus of angels exults.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since death came through man,
the resurrection of the dead came also through man.
For just as in Adam all die,
so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,
but each one in proper order:
Christ the firstfruits;
then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;
then comes the end,
when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,
when he has destroyed every sovereignty
and every authority and power.
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death,
for "he subjected everything under his feet."
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Mary is taken up to heaven;
a chorus of angels exults.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 1:39-56
Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"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?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever."
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"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?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."
And Mary said:
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
and has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever."
Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
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