Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
We celebrate today the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Luke, in today’s gospel reading, gives an interesting detail in his story. He tells us, “Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste…”
Mary went to Elizabeth, not to have a great time out, but to help her elderly cousin during a difficult period. She went there not only to listen to her and to comfort her, but also to help her in her daily chores, lowly jobs. She went there not to be ministered, but to minister.
Mary, who sets out in haste, finds her purpose, her joy, and her fulfillment in the “Theo-drama.” “Theo-drama” is the story being told by God – the story of salvation that he himself writes, directs and stars in. Kabaligtaran ito ng “ego-drama” na mas popular sa mundo. The EGO-drama is the play that “I AM writing, I AM producing, I AM directing, and above all, I AM starring in.” God is practically an outsider in this EGO-drama – he is just part of the audience. What makes life thrilling is to discover our role in the Theo-drama. This is precisely what happened to Mary.
Ganap bang naunawaan ni Maria ang nais mangyari ng Diyos? HINDI. Nakita ba niya ang bawat aspeto ng plano ng Diyos sa kanya? HINDI. Was she in control of what was happening and what would happen in that drama? NO. Yet, Mary surrendered herself to God’s will, and played her role in God’s story of salvation.
The Jubilee of Mercy is a call to conversion. Conversion is basically a shift from being self-centered to being God-centered. It is basically a shift from ego-drama to Theo-drama… from building our own kingdom of wealth, power, and honor to building God’s kingdom of peace, justice, and love… from aggressively doing our own plans and projects to faithfully doing God’s will… from being caught up in our worldly wants and desires to being captivated by the gospel values… from pursuing our selfish interests and ambitions to participating in the life and mission of Christ… from dominating and taking advantage of others to humbly serving our sisters and brothers. With God’s love and mercy, let us make that shift in our life. My dear friends, we are called to surrender ourselves to God’s will and play our roles in the Theo-drama, as Mary did.
Parokya ni Osong 