Wednesday 31 May, 2023 | The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18; Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12; Luke 1:39-56 (You can find these in full on the Universalis website – Click here)
Writing from her hiddenness in the attic of an Amsterdam house, Anne Frank wrote, “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” There, in the three-storey attic, she hid from 1942 to 1944 during the German occupation of the Netherlands, documenting her life in hiding. She died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration Camp in February or March 1945. Her diaries were published two years later.
Today, we celebrate the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth in the hill country of Judaea. Both women have news to share, and each rejoices in the circumstances of the other. Elizabeth exclaims, ‘Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?” She then then bears witness that her unborn child, hidden within her womb, shares in the joy, for she feels him leaping at the presence of Jesus. On that hilltop is so much joy and beauty. It is a hidden moment, shared only by these two women and their unborn children. Mary’s voice proclaims the greatness of the Lord. Her words show confidence in God’s power to transform the world with his justice.
When we reflect upon the world, we can be disheartened by the presence of so much misery, and so many challenges to human dignity. Many people live in fear of war and violence, where darkness seems to reign supreme, or where people experience injustice. There is the growing awareness of the plight of the planet from environmental damage. Each of us too, throughout our lives, will experience times of misery and sadness which can challenge our faith in God and in humanity, and perhaps we find it difficult to move on. Despite all this and more, there is so much beauty that remains. The song of Mary proclaims the beauty and the power of God, where the powerful give way to the poor, the hungry are filled with good things, and thrones are left empty. Today, we rejoice in the beauty of all that God has done in the world, and all that he continues to do, and pray for justice, for peace and compassion.
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Mass today (Wednesday 31 May, 2023) is celebrated at Ss Dyfrig and Samson, Grangetown at 10am, and at Mary’s Church, Butetown at 11am | If you would like to send a prayer request then click on the ‘REQUEST PRAYER’ Button. You can discover more about Worship across the Ministry Area on our Worship page
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