HOMILY FOR THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. (1)

HOMILY FOR THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

THEME: THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES!

BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)

* Zeph 3: 14 – 18, Lk 1: 39 – 56.

The first reading echoes the first joyful message to mankind about salvation; ‘The King of Israel is in our midst, you shall fear no more’. How was this message actualized? Catholics prayerfully celebrate the actualization of this prophesy in the form of THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES of the holy rosary;
(I) The visitation of Angel Gabriel with the message, “Hail Mary, full of grace , the Lord is with thee”.
(II) The visitation of Mary to Elizabeth with the message, “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus”. She also asked: ” Why is this granted me that the MOTHER OF MY LORD should come to me? This revelation had to spark up among Marian theologians (Mariologists), the “theotokos argument” – arguments that established Mary as the mother of God by being the mother of Jesus who is God ( Council of Ephesus, 431). Mary also picked it from there and prophesied in her Magnificat that “Henceforth, all generations (of real children of God) shall call me blessed’.
(iii) The nativity with the message of the Virgin birth.
(iv) The presentation of the Child Jesus in the temple with the painful revelation from the high priest Simeon to his mother.
(v) The manifestation of his teaching and healing ministry.

RELATED: HOMILY FOR TUESDAY OF 8TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.

In the rosary, Catholics celebrate all these prayerfully. According to Bridge McKenna ‘The rosary is a deeply contemplative prayer – It is walking with Mary through the life of Jesus’. Many Protestants think we worship Mary but we don’t. We only honour her and call her “blessed” like the scriptures asked us to do. ‘Hyperdulia’ ( the honour we give to Mary) is different from ‘Latria’ ( the worship we give to God). Catholics worship God only through the sacrifice of Jesus (called the holy mass) which he told us “Do this in memory of me”. There is nothing like the sacrifice of Mary. There is no mass of Mary. Every mass is done by Jesus. So, Mary can never deflect his honour. The joyful mystery is all about the celebration of the joyful news of our salvation through Jesus Christ. May God bless you today!

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