Feast Day: March 30th
When Our Most Holy Mother of God was pregnant she went with Saint Joseph to visit her cousin Saint Elizabeth, who was also pregnant, and her husband Prophet Zacharias. The two babies in the wombs recognised each other, and thus began the Prophesying of Saint John, before he was born!
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Prayers
Carrying God in her womb, the Virgin hastened to Elizabeth, whose unborn babe straightaway perceiving her salutation rejoiced; and with leaps as it were with songs, he cried out to the Theotokos: Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded.
Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-56
Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
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And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the Babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.”
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In the Icon of the Embrace of the Theotokos and Saint Elizabeth, you can see the unborn Saint John the Baptist bowing reverently before Jesus, Who Blesses him.
“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” … And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
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The Song of Mary
And Mary said: “My Soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His Maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me Blessed. For He who is Mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name. And His Mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His Mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.”
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On the Icon of Saint Elizabeth below, you can see a stone from the site of the Theotokos’ meeting with Saint Elizabeth.
