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Gospel Reading - Mary and Elizabeth

^39-40A few days later Mary hurried to the highlands of Judea to the town where Zacharias lived, to visit Elizabeth.

⁴¹At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

⁴²She gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “You are favored by God above all other women, and your child is destined for God’s mightiest praise. ⁴³What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! ⁴⁴When you came in and greeted me, the instant I heard your voice, my baby moved in me for joy! ⁴⁵You believed that God would do what he said; that is why he has given you this wonderful blessing.”

⁴⁶Mary responded, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. ⁴⁷How I rejoice in God my Savior! ⁴⁸For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation forever shall call me blest of God. ⁴⁹For he, the mighty Holy One, has done great things to me. ⁵⁰His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who reverence him.

⁵¹“How powerful is his mighty arm! How he scatters the proud and haughty ones! ⁵²He has torn princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly. ⁵³He has satisfied the hungry hearts and sent the rich away with empty hands. ⁵⁴And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. ⁵⁵For he promised our fathers — Abraham and his children — to be merciful to them forever.”

⁵⁶Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.