The Visitation is the story of two pregnant women meeting — certainly a common enough event. There is a profound truth woven into the encounter. It is easy to imagine that a woman expecting a child becomes self-centered, focused only on what she is going through. The visitation of Elizabeth and Mary shows the exact opposite is the case. Because they are bringing life into the world their care extends to the world the child is being born into. The prayer of Mary, called the Magnificat, illustrates this. God has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly.
God has filled the hungry with good things. The truth is that caring for an individual gradually comes to include the widest circle.