Visitations

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is one of my favorite feasts.  On so many levels, it speaks... I would even say it sings... to my life as a cloistered heart.

As we've said in the last few days, Mary visited Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56) because she had BEEN Visited by God.  She didn't go to Elizabeth alone - she went with the Presence of Christ inside her.  As one living "cloistered for Jesus" in the midst of the world, I carry Christ inside me as well.  Oh, not in the same unique way, certainly.  But according to Scripture and Church teaching, I indeed carry Him within. 

Mary went on a simple visit to Elizabeth.  It was an occasion that I'm sure went unnoticed by many.  A woman went to visit her kinswoman; something that happened all the time.   No one would have cried out: "look, there goes Mary on mission!" or "how about that!  This visit will be written of in the Bible!"  From the merely human perspective, it was simply a time of normal interaction between two women, two relatives.  

And so it is with us. You and I have opportunities every single day to visit people with the presence of Christ.  In the everyday activities of life, we visit family members, neighbors, store clerks, e-mailers, callers on the phone. 

I find it extremely helpful when I make a conscious effort to visit these persons with the love of Our Lord.  That is - with an awareness of Christ within me.  I have found that it makes quite a difference in my attitude when I think of things this way. 

It is the essence, in my estimation, of living in the world as a cloistered heart.  

I could go on and on about this topic, for I have two directions in mind.  I hope to share those over the next few days, for each by itself is a specific thought.  For now, however, I want to leave us with a question.

What might happen if I make a conscious effort to go through today "on visitation?"  

What if I first visit the Lord in prayer, and then specifically visit every person I encounter with the love of Christ?  This does not mean I have to say or do anything that will draw attention.  It can mean that I pray a silent aspiration for the mailman, smile at a harried store clerk, relate to family members with patience.  I might even write a note to a sick friend, send an e-mail of encouragement, call a lonely relative.  

My visitations can be simple and unnoticed.   But as I carry the love of Christ to those around me, I have a feeling that all of heaven will rejoice.

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

To Be Visited

To be Visited by God Himself.  

It is what Pentecost was all about.  

It is what receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion is all about.  

It's what my life and your life are about.  We have the opportunity... at Mass, at adoration, in prayer, at every moment in which we seek Him,  to be Visited by God Himself.   

On this eve of the Feast of the Visitation, I'm reflecting upon opportunities I have to carry Jesus to those around me.  But I cannot visit WITH Him if I have not first been Visited BY Him.  A "cloistered heart" without the Presence of Christ would be, in fact, no such thing.  And so I ask, for each of us, that we will have grace to open our hearts to a deeper infilling of the Holy Spirit.  

May we seek Him, trust Him, visit Him in prayer.   

May we have new eyes to recognize His Visitations in every area of our lives.  

“Are you not aware that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

"When anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God."  (1 John 4:15)

“Most beautiful of creatures, who desires so ardently to know the dwelling place of your Beloved in order to seek Him and be united with Him, you are yourself the refuge where He takes shelter, the dwelling place in which He hides Himself. Your Beloved, your Treasure, your one Hope is so close to you as to live within you." (St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle)

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

The Visit - With a Capital V

Today we find ourselves (here on this blog, at least) back at the scene of the Annunciation.  That might seem strange immediately after Pentecost, but in two days we'll be celebrating the feast of our Blessed Mother's visit to Elizabeth.  As we know, there would have been no visitation without the Annunciation.  And the scene of the visitation, I believe, has much to teach those who would go through the world with Christ "cloistered" in our hearts. 

When I read the first chapter of Luke, several things strike me:

Mary visited because she had BEEN Visited.  She made her visitation because first she'd HAD a Visitation.  Mary had been Visited by God in a way totally unique in human history, and then she went in haste to visit her kinswoman Elizabeth, who had also been Visited by God.  

Mary had a choice to make in response to this Visitation of God upon her.  Yes, she had been conceived without sin, but still she had free will.  She was not totally choiceless in the matter.  Eve had been created without sin also - she could have said no to the promptings of evil and yes to the will of God.  Mary, conceived without sin, still could have said no.  Instead, she uttered the Yes which opened wide the door through which our Savior entered the world.

Mary's action immediately after being overshadowed with the power of the Most High was to set out in haste to visit Elizabeth, who had also been Visited by God.  Mary carried the Presence of Christ Himself to Elizabeth, to John in Elizabeth's womb, to Zechariah.  Our Blessed Mother did not make her visitation taking only herself.  She carried within her the Presence of God.

There was a reaction to the Presence of Christ carried within Mary.  The babe in Elizabeth leapt for joy. 

As she visited Elizabeth and the two marveled at the Visitations of God upon them, Mary burst forth in praise.  

Over the next few days, we will look more deeply into the scene of the visitation.  As we do, I pray that Our Lord will powerfully Visit each of our hearts.

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

Breakthrough

The painting on this post is extra large.  It breaks across boundaries, crosses neat edges of the sidebar, and in effect has this blog bursting at the seams.

At first, I was going to make the image smaller.  Then I realized:  this is a picture of Pentecost, and a painting bursting through the boundaries may actually have something to show us. 

The Holy Spirit of God burst into our world on Pentecost.  Not with a gentle whisper - not this time.  He came suddenly, with noise like a strong, driving wind. Tongues as of fire appeared and came to rest on each person.  As we are told in Acts 2, all were filled with the Holy Spirit, expressing themselves in foreign tongues and making bold proclamation.  There was so much noise that it drew quite a crowd.  The onlookers were "confused," "amazed," "astonished," "dumbfounded."  Peter, who had once denied Jesus out of fear, stood up and proclaimed boldly what the Spirit was doing.

The events of that day certainly did not fit into neat, tidy categories.  Suddenly, the world the apostles had known was bursting at the seams. 

The shaken onlookers had never seen anything like this.  "What are we to do?" they asked.  Peter, now emboldened, had an answer.  "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was to you and your children that the promise was made, and to all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls."  (Acts 2:37-39) 

"To all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls." 

This promise is for us!  We are far from that day (as we measure time), but we have been called.  We are promised the forgiveness of sins.  We are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are, in effect, promised a breakthrough.  If we let Him, the Holy Spirit of God can tear down anything and everything that walls us off from receiving the absolute fullness of His grace.

"Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful.  Enkindle in them the fire of your divine love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth." 

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

(Pentecost painting by Jean Restout)

Her First Visitation

Michiel Coxie "Annunciation"

As we know, it's almost the Feast of Pentecost, when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples.

As we also know, Pentecost was not the first time our Blessed Mother received a Visitation from God.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God."  (Luke 1:35)

Immediately upon saying these words to Mary, the angel added:  "Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age.."  (Luke 1:36)  Mary then went in haste to Elizabeth, an event we will be celebrating on May 31st. 

I tend to think of these things (the Annunciation, the Visitation, Pentecost) together, because I like to meditate upon their connections. 

After all, there would have been no Pentecost if there had been no Incarnation.  

There would have been no visitation of Mary to Elizabeth if there had been no Annunciation. 

Without God's Visitation to Mary and her total yes to Him, we would have had no Savior, no Cross, no Resurrection, no gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, no Church. 

Over the next few days, I hope to look more (here) into these sacred connections.  I also hope to consider how we, ourselves, are visited by God, and how we can visit others with His Presence.  After all, in order to visit others with the Spirit of God, we must first BE Visited by Him.  

With this in mind, I pray that we will be graced to open our hearts more fully to the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will seek His Visitation upon our souls, that we will visit Him in praise and adoration, that we will carry Him tenderly to those around us. 

As we prepare for the glorious Feast of Pentecost, may we be open to His love, His holiness, His cleansing, and His grace. 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org