Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The Visitation
























Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart, 
O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. Zephaniah 3

What might it be like to live and act as if God were rejoicing over us with gladness and constantly renewing us in his love? With Mary most pure we can shout for joy for Jesus her Son in his self-emptying love is forgiving us over and over again. Such is God's judgment- God sees exactly what we do, what we deserve, and out of love chooses to remove the judgment against us. 

The Visitation, c. 1495, attributed to Rueland Frueauf the Elder, German         
(c. 1445 - 1507)  Oil on panel,  27 5/8 x 14 15/16 in., Fogg Museum.