Elizabeth the Prophet

John the Baptist is sometimes called the last prophet in the Old Testament, or the Bridge Prophet, because he links the Old and New Testaments. This morning, Monsignor Moran called our attention to John the Baptist's mother, Elizabeth.

Consider what she said to Mary, in Luke 1: 41-42, "...Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!'" 

You can always tell a prophet, Monsignor told us, because they don't talk about themselves, but rather they speak of God.  If it were you or I, we'd say, "Guess what happened to me today."  Elizabeth calls attention to the Lord.

The Visitation

Back in the days, when I was in high school, every once in awhile, one of the girls in my school, would go on hiatus.  Everyone was told that she was visiting relatives somewhere distant and would be back next year.
     
     We all knew what that meant.  She was pregnant and was sent away to have her baby.  She'll be back after the baby was born.

     Nowadays, there's no shame in being an unwed mother.  In fact, it's pretty common for girls not to marry their babies' father.  But that's neither here nor there; it has nothing to do with my point.

    All the readings today are about the Visitation, Luke 1:39-56.  Neither Luke, nor the other readings I read in preparation for today (Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Mgdalen, O.C.D, and Heather King)*, nor any other readings, I've ever read, mention the fact that she might have been sent away.  After all, it was a shame and scandal to be an unwed mother.

I think it's an excellent possibility that was the underlying reason for going to visit, and staying awhile, with a distant cousin.

Think about it.  It was the perfect excuse.  Yet it's the very same excuse pregnant and unwed girls, used.

* Readings for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Magnificat http://www.magnificat.com/