My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. // Luke 1:47-48

When I ponder the Visitation from today’s Gospel, I usually think about how beautiful it is that Mary sought out her older, wiser female relative. How joyous was their meeting as Saint John the Baptist leapt within Elizabeth’s womb! These two women could share with each other the experience of God directly touching their lives and the lives of their unborn children in a special way.

But the other side of the story I don’t think about often is the fact that Mary probably was trying to get away for a while. And not to simply chill out and relax, or help Elizabeth with her nesting. Mary might have felt in danger from her community and culture. What could happen to her as a betrothed woman made pregnant by someone beside her betrothed would be a frightening thought as they would have seen her as having committed adultery. Since we do not know from the Gospels in which month Saint Joseph was made aware of her pregnancy, she may have felt the need for the safety and refuge of her relative’s home. The fear though would not have been eliminated.

Mary’s fiat at the Annunciation is a model for the spiritual life. It is a perfect response of God’s love to us: a free and wholehearted cooperation with His will. So, too, does Mary’s magnificat: her practice of joy and praise of God in the midst of fear and uncertainty give us practical spiritual advice.

There are always areas in our lives that are uncertain, where we may even fear particular outcomes. It feels contrary to our instincts to respond to fear and uncertainty with rejoicing and praise to God. But Mary’s example shows us that faith grows not by letting fear overtake our prayer; through praising God, our faith will be increased. Mary let joy grow amidst fear, and not a joy that comes from shallow comfort, but a joy that comes from knowing that the love of God will change your life.

Pray with the Magnificat today for your own life and any particular struggles.