Held 1516.
Luc. 1, 39-56.
And Mary arose in those days, and went up into the mountains to the end of the city of Jude, and came into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence cometh it unto me, that the mother of my Lord cometh unto me? Behold, when I heard the voice of thy greeting, the child leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed art thou that hast believed, for that which was spoken unto thee of the Lord shall be fulfilled. And Mary said, My soul exalteth the Lord, and my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaid. Behold, from henceforth all the children shall call me blessed. For he has done great things for me, who is mighty, and whose name is holy. And his mercy endureth for ever unto them that fear him. He wieldeth violence with his arm, and scattereth them that have hope in their heart. He pushes the mighty from their seats and lifts up the lowly. He fills the hungry with goods and leaves the rich empty. He remembereth mercy, and restoreth his servant Israel, as he spake unto our fathers, unto Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her three months; and after that she returned again.
1. one teaching: although Saint Elizabeth saw very clearly that the Virgin Mary was the mother of the Lord, the Virgin saw even more clearly that God alone was great in all things. Elizabeth saw very clearly, because no outward sign could tell that Mary was with child, since eight days had passed since the Annunciation. For she left for the mountains soon after the angel's departure, since her womb had not yet grown strong, nor had the rumor gone out. Therefore Elizabeth was filled with a wonderful light, that she not only saw that Mary was with child, but also that she was the mother of the Lord. "Elizabeth means the rest of God, the rest of the Lord; for the Spirit of the Lord rests on the quiet, the miserable, Isa. 66, 2. Therefore He also enlightens the quiet and instructs them in those things that are unknown to others.
2. but the holy virgin has been given to God.
see in everything. It does not cling to any creature, but draws everything to God. Since it does not exalt God, only because it considers itself and everything as nothing (but no one does this, except he who has God alone before his eyes, and in whom everything else has disappeared. The soul cannot at the same time be directed to the glorification of the creature and of the Creator); therefore it is not puffed up because of the so great goods and because of the so great praise, because in them it has recognized, thanked, loved and praised the Lord, who is greater. Notice, however, that she says, "The soul exalts," but not the body or the tongue; that she says, "The spirit rejoices," but not the flesh or the world; since many exalt God with the tongue, since they praise him only with great titles as a God, but meanwhile her heart exalts other things, because she esteems them highly and relies on them more than on God. Therefore, the holy virgin is the purest worshipper of God, who exalts God alone above all and is without idol. The others, however, are half-Jews and half-worshippers, who worship their gods and the Lord at the same time as the Samaritans; of which I said the other day.