from the Office of Readings
of the Liturgy of the Hours for December 21:
COMM on LUKE: BOOK 2: 19.22-23.26-27

PL 15.1559-1562

THE VISITATION__ 

THE angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God.

Et ideo angelus cum abscondita ^[Col.1560A] nuntiaret, ut fides astrueretur exemplo, senioris feminae sterilisque conceptum virgini Mariae nuntiavit; ut possibile Deo omne quod ei placuerit, assereret.

  When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.

Ubi audivit hoc Maria, non quasi incredula de oraculo, nec quasi incerta de nuntio, nec quasi dubitans de exemplo: sed quasi laeta pro voto, religiosa pro officio, festina pro gaudio, in montana perrexit.

  Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays.

Quo enim jam Deo plena, nisi ad superiora cum festinatione contenderet? Nescit tarda molimina sancti Spiritus gratia.

And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cito quoque adventus Mariae, et praesensentiae dominicae beneficia declarantur. (v 41.) Simul enim ut audivit salutationem Mariae Elizabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus. Et repleta est Spiritu sancto.

  See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children.

23. Vide distinctionem, singulorumque verborum proprietates. Vocem prior Elizabeth audivit, sed Joannes prior gratiam sensit: illa naturae ordine audivit, ^[1560D] iste exsultavit ratione mysterii: illa Mariae, iste Domini sensit adventum: femina mulieris, et ^[1561A] pignus pignoris. Istae gratiam loquuntur, illi intus operantur, pietatisque mysterium maternis adoriuntur profectibus; duplicique miraculo prophetant matres spiritu parvulorum.

  The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced. For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come.

Exsultavit infans, repleta est mater. Non prius mater repleta, quam filius: sed cum filius esset repletus Spiritu sancto, replevit et matrem. Exsultavit Joannes, exsultavit et Mariae spiritus. Exsultante Joanne, repletur Elizabeth: Mariam tamen non repleri Spiritu, sed spiritum ejus exsultare cognovimus; incomprehensibilis enim incomprehensibiliter operabatur in matre. Et illa post conceptum repletur, ista ante conceptum.

“BLESSED are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”.

[26] Beata, inquit, quae credidisti.

  You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.

Sed et vos beati, qui audistis, et credidistis; quaecumque enim crediderit anima et concipit et generat Dei Verbum, et opera ejus agnoscit.

Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord.

Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God.

Sit in singulis Mariae anima, ut magnificet Dominum:

sit in singulis spiritus Mariae, ut exsultet in Deo.

   According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.

Si secundum carnem una mater est Christi; secundum fidem tamen omnium fructus est Christus. Omnis ^[1562A] enim anima accipit Dei Verbum, si tamen immaculata et immunis a vitiis, intemerato castimoniam pudore custodiat.

  The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.

[27]. Quaecumque igitur talis esse potuerit anima, magnificat Dominum, sicut anima Mariae magnificavit Dominum, et exsultavit spiritus ejus in Deo salutari.

  The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us.

Magnificatur enim Dominus, sicut et alibi legis: Magnificate Dominum mecum (Ps.33,44); non quod Domino aliquid humana voce possit adjungi, sed quia magnificatur in nobis.

Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made.

Imago enim Dei Christus est; et ideo si quid justum fecerit anima aut religiosum, illam imaginem Dei, ad cujus est similitudinem creata, magnificat.

And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.

Et ideo dum magnificat eum, magnitudinis ejus quadam participatione sublimior fit; [...]

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

PL 15.1559-1562

The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God.

Et ideo angelus cum abscondita ^[Col.1560A] nuntiaret, ut fides astrueretur exemplo, senioris feminae sterilisque conceptum virgini Mariae nuntiavit; ut possibile Deo omne quod ei placuerit, assereret.

  When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.

Ubi audivit hoc Maria, non quasi incredula de oraculo, nec quasi incerta de nuntio, nec quasi dubitans de exemplo: sed quasi laeta pro voto, religiosa pro officio, festina pro gaudio, in montana perrexit.

  Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays.

Quo enim jam Deo plena, nisi ad superiora cum festinatione contenderet? Nescit tarda molimina sancti Spiritus gratia.

And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cito quoque adventus Mariae, et praesensentiae dominicae beneficia declarantur. (v 41.) Simul enim ut audivit salutationem Mariae Elizabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus. Et repleta est Spiritu sancto.

  See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children.

23. Vide distinctionem, singulorumque verborum proprietates. Vocem prior Elizabeth audivit, sed Joannes prior gratiam sensit: illa naturae ordine audivit, ^[1560D] iste exsultavit ratione mysterii: illa Mariae, iste Domini sensit adventum: femina mulieris, et ^[1561A] pignus pignoris. Istae gratiam loquuntur, illi intus operantur, pietatisque mysterium maternis adoriuntur profectibus; duplicique miraculo prophetant matres spiritu parvulorum.

  The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced. For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come.

Exsultavit infans, repleta est mater. Non prius mater repleta, quam filius: sed cum filius esset repletus Spiritu sancto, replevit et matrem. Exsultavit Joannes, exsultavit et Mariae spiritus. Exsultante Joanne, repletur Elizabeth: Mariam tamen non repleri Spiritu, sed spiritum ejus exsultare cognovimus; incomprehensibilis enim incomprehensibiliter operabatur in matre. Et illa post conceptum repletur, ista ante conceptum.

“Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”.

[26] Beata, inquit, quae credidisti.

  You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.

Beata, inquit, quae credidisti. Sed et vos beati, qui audistis, et credidistis; quaecumque enim crediderit anima et concipit et generat Dei Verbum, et opera ejus agnoscit.

  Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.

Sit in singulis Mariae anima, ut magnificet Dominum: sit in singulis spiritus Mariae, ut exsultet in Deo. Si secundum carnem una mater est Christi; secundum fidem tamen omnium fructus est Christus. Omnis ^[1562A] enim anima accipit Dei Verbum, si tamen immaculata et immunis a vitiis, intemerato castimoniam pudore custodiat.

  The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.

[27]. Quaecumque igitur talis esse potuerit anima, magnificat Dominum, sicut anima Mariae magnificavit Dominum, et exsultavit spiritus ejus in Deo salutari.

  The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us.

Magnificatur enim Dominus, sicut et alibi legis: Magnificate Dominum mecum (Ps.33,44); non quod Domino aliquid humana voce possit adjungi, sed quia magnificatur in nobis.

Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made.

Imago enim Dei Christus est; et ideo si quid justum fecerit anima aut religiosum, illam imaginem Dei, ad cujus est similitudinem creata, magnificat.

And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.

Et ideo dum magnificat eum, magnitudinis ejus quadam participatione sublimior fit; [...]