![]() ![]() ![]() Elizabeth was living in Ein Karem at the time, and the distance between the two villages is roughly 100 miles.Įin Karem is on the outskirts of Jerusalem and is about 2,474 feet above sea level, while Nazareth is at 1,138 feet. It is traditionally believed that Mary received the message of Elizabeth’s pregnancy while residing at her home in Nazareth. Luke narrates in his Gospel how the Virgin Mary, after receiving news about her cousin’s remarkable conception in her old age, “arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Luke 1:39-40). He has come to the help of his servant Israelįor he has remembered his promise of mercy,įor email responses to this article, write to His columns can be accessed through Virgin Mary's charitable gesture could have had a much different ending. He has filled the hungry with good things, He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, He has scattered the proud in their conceit. The Almighty has done great things for me, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,įor he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.įrom this day all generations will call me blessed: Elizabeth and the Blessed Virgin Mary recited the “Magnificat” the proper prayer for today. So for sure, the Holy Spirit who impregnated her also told her about the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and that her son, who was to be called John, would be the precursor to the Son of God whom the Blessed Virgin Mary was carrying.ĭuring her stay in Ein Karem, both St. Luke pointed out, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” How could Elizabeth know the Blessed Virgin Mary was pregnant when she came to Ein Karen because she heard that Elizabeth was on the way? As St. In Ein Karen, as we learned from Luke who wrote: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Today the tour bus reaches Ein Karen some two hours on a freeway. It turned out that Ein Karem was nearly a hundred kilometers from Nazareth and in those days, Mama Mary would have taken a caravan which would have taken at least three days to reach its destination. Reading the passage of Luke, Mama Mary went to visit Elizabeth when the angel revealed to her that she was going to have a son. By the time we prayed at its door, the bells of the church rang as it was already noon and the Angelus was prayed by the whole of Nazareth! What a great blessing for us. The place where the annunciation happened was to the left of the main altar. So we had to wait outside the main church. ![]() We got into the main door of the church but could not enter until the other groups exited. With so many tour groups lining up, we had to climb the steep road leading to the church. One of the greatest blessings we encountered in Nazareth was we didn’t know that the tour bus could negotiate the church built to house the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary where the annunciation happened. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”įor those of us who have visited the Holy Land, two of the most visited place for pilgrims is the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Nazareth and Ein Karem, the House of Zechariah in the hill country close to Jerusalem. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. “39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. Today’s gospel reading comes from Luke 1:39-45, it is about our Blessed Virgin Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth because the Angel Gabriel told her she was six months pregnant. It is now the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas is just a few days away. ![]()
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