Mary and Elizabeth

Mary and Elizabeth meeting each other, joyfully.

As we approach the celebration of Christmas, the focus now moves to the Holy Family as Mary and Joseph prepare for the birth of their baby. The Annunciation and the Visitation are also highlighted in the Gospel readings this week. A touching picture I found is the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth as their babies also rejoice at their first encounter. Most paintings of the Visitation, one sees Mary and Elizabeth in a very reverent and serious mood, but this picture shows a lighter, more human reaction, which is originally portrayed in the movie “The Nativity.” Another artist reproduced this encounter and it is one of my favorites. I hope it becomes yours too.

The original scene from the movie "The Nativity"