The Visitation. Reasons for the Journey
Our most amiable and ever-beloved Queen and Lady, the glorious Virgin, had scarcely given consent to the words of the Archangel Saint Gabriel when the mystery of the Incarnation was fulfilled in her; and having learned from the same Archangel that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age, she wished to go and visit her, in order to serve and relieve her. Knowing that it was divine will that she make this visit, she rose quickly, says the Evangelist Saint Luke, and left Nazareth, which was a small city in Galilee, where she lived, to go to the house of Zechariah, and walked hurriedly to the mountains of Judah, undertaking this long and difficult journey; for, as many authors say, the city where Elizabeth lived was about twenty-seven leagues from Nazareth, although others affirm a little less.
But in any case, it was a rather long and difficult journey through the mountains for that tender and delicate Virgin, who felt impelled by a secret inspiration to make that visit. It is important to be careful not to think that she went there driven by curiosity to see if what the Angel had told her about her cousin was true, for she in no way doubted it, being, on the contrary, entirely certain that the matter was just as it had been told to her. But, in the first place, she was driven to undertake this journey out of a sense of charity, in order to serve, assist, and relieve Saint Elizabeth, her cousin, and to see that great wonder, and rejoice with her, for the grace the Lord had granted her, giving her a son in her barrenness and allowing her to conceive in her old age.
Secondly, Mary went on this visit to reveal to Saint Elizabeth that most exalted and incomparable mystery that had been accomplished in her by the work of the Holy Spirit; for she knew well that her cousin was a just, very good, God-fearing person, who ardently desired the coming of the Messiah promised in the law to redeem the world. It would be a great comfort to her to know that God’s promises were fulfilled and that the time desired by the Patriarchs and announced by the Prophets had already arrived. Thirdly, Mary went there to restore, through her Son, the word to Zacharias, who had lost it through his disbelief in the Angel’s words when he announced that his wife would conceive a son who would be called John. Fourthly, Mary knew that this visit would bring a host of blessings to the household of Zechariah, which would redound to the child in Elizabeth’s womb, who would be sanctified by that visit. It is therefore beyond doubt that a burning charity accompanied by a profound humility were the motives that led her to head swiftly and promptly toward the mountains of Judah. These two virtues prompted her to make this journey and made her leave her small town of Nazareth; for charity is not tardy, but active in the hearts in which it reigns and dwells, and always desires to do good works, and as Saint Ambrose says, the grace of the Holy Spirit knows no tardy efforts (Book II, On Saint Luke).
For this reason, the Blessed Virgin, who was full of Him, holding love itself in her womb, lived in continual acts of charity, not only toward God, to whom she was united by the bond of the most perfect charity imaginable; but also toward her neighbor, whom she loved to a degree of the highest perfection, which made her ardently desire the salvation of the whole world and the sanctification of souls. Thus, knowing that she could cooperate in the sanctification of Saint John, who was still in the womb of Saint Elizabeth, she went there with great diligence; in addition, that same charity made her go to rejoice with her cousin for having blessed her womb with such a blessing that, having been barren and infertile, she had now conceived the one who was to be the forerunner of the Incarnate Word.
Mary, then, went to rejoice with Elizabeth, to congratulate her, and to excite her so that both would glorify God for his mercies, to thank him for the favors and blessings he had bestowed upon her, who, being a Virgin, had conceived the Son of God by the operation of the Holy Spirit, and upon Saint Elizabeth, who, being barren, had conceived miraculously and by special grace, the one who was to be the forerunner of the Son of God. These reasons, and many others that could be adduced, sufficiently show that our Queen and glorious Lady did not undertake this journey except by a secret movement of God, who wished, in this visit, to begin the salvation of souls, in the sanctification of little Saint John. (First sermon of the Visitation)