The Sound of Her Greeting

Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah. Gabriel had left her with news of Elizabeth, and now she went to the woman he had named. When she arrived, she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted her relative. The words of that greeting are not recorded, but Elizabeth heard them.

At the sound of Mary’s voice, the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke out loudly. Mary had scarcely entered the account of this household before Elizabeth was calling her blessed.

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord’s word to her will be fulfilled.”

Elizabeth spoke of what had happened in her own body when Mary greeted her. She also spoke about the child Mary would bear and the word Mary had believed. There is no explanation from Mary between her arrival and Elizabeth’s welcome. The older woman’s blessing comes first, before the account gives Mary anything further to say.

Then Mary spoke, and her words became a song. She began with herself, with her soul and spirit, with the humble state of a servant who had been noticed. The word servant had been in her answer to Gabriel. It was here again, in the home of her relative.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He has looked with favor on the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His name.

His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”

Her song moved from her own life to generations she would never meet. She spoke of rulers and the humble, of hungry people filled and rich people sent away empty. The child Gabriel had announced was still to be born. Yet Mary spoke of mighty deeds already performed, of help given and mercy remembered.

At the end she named Abraham and his descendants. The words that began with her own soul had widened to include her people and their fathers. Elizabeth had blessed a woman who believed a word would be fulfilled; Mary answered by remembering a promise. Neither woman’s speech was small, though the meeting itself was between two relatives in a home.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. The account preserves their first exchange and Mary’s song, then lets the rest of the visit pass without describing their conversations. Three months of staying together are held in a few words. Afterward, Mary returned home.

She left the woman who had welcomed her so loudly and went back to the place where she was pledged to Joseph. The song had reached across generations, but the next part of her story would narrow to that marriage. Another account would tell what happened when Joseph learned she was expecting a child.