“VISITATION 2023”
Saint Luke 1: 39-56
The Visitation: 2 July Anno Domini 2023
Fr Jay Watson, SSP
The Watchers and The Holy Ones, i.e., all the heavenly host—angels, archangels are here now—with you. Believe it. Do you not confess it during the words of the Preface, right before The Sacrament? Yes. Well, believe that they are here now as well—guardian angels to be sure but also messengers serving the Holy Spirit in aiding the proclamation of The Good News in this and all Christ filled homilies.
Today is the Feast of the Visitation of Saint Mary to Saint Elisabeth. So, I will not apologize for talking about the Blessed Virgin—she is in the text. But Who is in her? Ah, there you have it. Mary always points to Jesus, telling you to listen to Him. But I submit that Mary always carries Jesus. Here in Luke 1 your God and Lord is in her holy womb. But at this moment you sit, metaphorically, next to her 8-sided Baptismal Font/Womb, the womb of The Church. Mary is the “type” of Christ’s Church. As Saint Cyprian of Carthage (240 A.D.) says correctly: “No one can have God as his Father that does not have The Church (Mary as well) as his Mother.”
But since “Lutherans,” some Lutherans, tend to get a bit squirmy and fist-clenching whenever the blessed Mother-of-God is brought up, rest assured, they will conveniently put her back under the basement stairs with the wisemen, and those angels, until the tacky creche is pulled out later in December.
But you have been gathered by The Spirit to be in your true house. The House of Zacharias, for he is here as well, but the House of The Living God—The Living Christ; no more an unborn baby but a risen, ascended, ever-present King and Saving Mediator. You this morning are in the Hill Country, not of Juda but of Jesus’ High Altar and elevated pulpit.
You have already sung and worshipped and praised The Lord of Lords. You cannot avoid her for she too is here. You sang it in the opening hymn: “O higher than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim, lead their praises!” Yes. Angels are spirit. Saint Mary is flesh and blood. Jesus is The God/Man the 2nd Person Incarnate—enfleshed. That flesh and blood came from His young mother “Gottesmutter” as The Reformer calls her in your Book of Concord.
It is not about who she is but about who she brings and presents (as she presented Him to the shepherds and later to the Magi): “Thou Bearer of The Eternal Word.” That is like the “homo factus est” during The Creed—and was made Man! And what does this Bearer do? “Most gracious magnify The Lord!”
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by The Word of The Lord—that was Saint Mary’s task, privilege, and mission. That is The Church’s mission—and her children.
Saint Elisabeth, mother of the “greatest of men,” heard the salutation—the greeting—of Saint Mary. What was that greeting? The in-utero Saint John the Baptist heard The Virgin’s greeting and leaped in Elisabeth’s womb! What was that greeting? The greeting was so authoritatively powerful that Elisabeth was filled with it, “filled with The Holy Ghost!” You too are filled with The Holy Ghost because you ARE + Baptized. What have you heard?
What did she say about The Virgin? “Blessed art thou among women.” Do you say that? Do you believe that? And why is Marium so blessed? “Blessed is The Fruit of thy womb.” Because of The God/Man Christ Jesus—The Word!
What did The Blessed Virgin say? She spoke The Word. She spoke her Baby, the only good news and Evangel there is.
“My soul doth magnify The Lord.” To magnify is to make something bigger, clearer, and immanently visible. Her own body was being used to grow The Christ’s Body, yes, but more so, her voice was giving voice To His Gospel! “My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior!” Mary is saved and redeemed by The Savior she carries. You are saved by The Savior that is IN YOU by the same Grace through The Word—This Word!
“He hath done to me great things!” And to you. She is made Theotokos (God bearer) yes, but she is saved from all sin, death, and the power of the devil.
“Holy is His Name.” Remember that when you join her in praise as you join angels and archangels in singing the Seraphim song—The Sanctus.
How has This Christ put “His mercy on them that fear Him?” How “hath [He] put down the mighty (the world, the sinful flesh you still have, the devil) from their seats,” and “exalted them (you) from low degree?” Why are you at Peace with God? How “hath [He] filled the hungry with good things; all “in remembrance of His mercy?”
Because of The Word—The Incarnate God fulfilling His promise that “He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed forever!” The Word worked to obey. The Word worked and allowed sinful unbelieving man to work on Him by crucifying Him. “He…shewed strength with His arm” when they were spread and nailed to that gloriously blood crucifix. “He…scattered the proud,” the demons and their followers, in His death and Resurrection. And for a while, that precious Son of Mary was pierced through after His death and a sword too pierced her own heart. But only for “three days” for Her Son, Your God (and hers) rose on the Third Day.
“And Mary abode with [Elisabeth] about three months, and returned to her own house.”
She has returned here to Augsburg—the Lord’s House in Shawnee, KS—where she returns every Lord’s Day with Peter, John, Elisas, Moses, Abraham, David, and angels and archangels. What they receive from Christ in their state of anxious waiting, you receive this morning in the state of living in The Kingdom of Grace—The Church (with Mary)—The Word of The Lord. The Gospel of Christ Crucified, Risen, and Present. Holy! Holy! Holy!
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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