Sun Chat Pentecost May 24:Power of the Spirit

How does a Visitandine live in the power of the Holy Spirit in the charism bequeathed to the Visitation Order? We can get glimpses by meditating upon the Gospel passage that Visitandines live by, the visit of Mary and Elizabeth in the Gospel of Luke.

The mystery of the Visitation precedes the Pentecost event by about 33 years. By entering the Visitation mystery, by focusing on the Holy Spirit’s powerful engagement in the Visitation narrative, we can ask the Spirit to act and move among us in a similar way to the Spirit’s action between Mary and Elizabeth, also reflected between the unborn infants Jesus and John. For by the very nature of our call as Visitandines, we are living out that mystery in our own time.

The Holy Spirit is essential to both the Visitation and Pentecost, and Mary was present and open during all these manifestations.

The Holy Spirit’s power pervaded all aspects of the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth. When Mary arrived in the town of Judah, entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth “heard” Mary’s greeting. She listened. Listening, a simple yet intense action, is the receptivity needed in order to be grasped by the Spirit.

Elizabeth, in her receptivity, also served as a channel to John in her womb, becoming, as it were, an instrument for her son’s spiritual birth, as he subsequently stirred or leaped within her. We are called to be channels as well.

The Gospel states quite distinctly that Elizabeth “was filled” with the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts then flowed out in abundance. She became a witness with a prophetic voice. She began to proclaim the truth about the present moment; deep, essential truths.

Elizabeth proclaimed, loudly, “Blest are you among women and blest is the fruit of your womb.” Her initial truth was a statement about Mary’s identity, as a blessed one.

“But who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”  The gift of humility is so clearly expressed here, this is a cornerstone virtue of a Visitandine, as well.

Elizabeth’s proclamation also revealed the gift of knowledge given to her. She knew Mary’s condition, that she was expecting a Child, she knew that the unborn child is Lord, her Lord. We too can ask for the gift of knowledge; it is a gift given within the Gospel event of the Visitation and thus, in a sense, specially bequeathed to Visitation Nuns.

The power of the Holy Spirit within us helps us see and proclaim the truth of our circumstances, our path, and our relationship with the Lord, as each continues to say, “but who am I?”

“Blessed is she who trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.”

Trust.  We really need to trust and to deepen it. We have received the individual promise of our God to our hearts. We are called to trust that the promises God has made to us will be fulfilled.

This is the heritage, a Gospel-based treasure, that the Visitation Order can call its own.