Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth
By St Alphonsus Maria Liguori | 2 July 2025
From The Glories of Mary by St Alphonsus Maria Liguori
We must have recourse to Mary
Mary is the Treasurer of all graces. We must go to her. If we do, we will surely obtain grace. A family feels privileged if the King comes for a visit. How much more fortunate to have the Queen of heaven and earth visit us. She fills blessed souls with rich graces. How blessed was Obeledem when the Ark of the Covenant remained in his house (2 Kings 6:11) “And the Lord blessed his house.” How much more blessed are the souls that receive a visit from the living ark of Mary.
Mary had just entered the house of Elizabeth when heavenly blessings filled everyone. Because this feast of Visitation is also called, “Our Blessed Lady of Graces”, I will describe Mary as the treasurer of all graces. There are two parts. First, if you desire any graces, you must go to Mary. Second, whoever goes to Mary, should be confident of receiving.
All Must Go to Mary
After hearing that Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God’s Word within Mary enlightened her that he wanted to manifest his riches for the first time. With no delay, “Mary went with haste into the hill country.” (Lk 1:39) She left her beloved solitude to go to Elizabeth because “love bears all things.” (1 Cor 13:7) and knows no delays.” “The Holy Spirit does not know slow undertakings.” (St Ambrose) Mary gave no heed to the difficulties of this journey.
The Powerful Greeting
On arriving, “She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk 1:40) Mary’s visit was not one of ceremony and devoid of sincerity. It brought great graces. By Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and John was sanctified. By leaping in the womb, he manifested the grace he received. “At your greeting, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.”
When Mary’s voice entered Elizabeth’s ears, the Spirit descended on the child. Through Mary (as a channel), John received grace, Elizabeth received the Holy Spirit and Zechariah received prophecy, the first graces granted by God’s Eternal Word. After this, God made Mary the universal channel by which the Lord dispenses all His graces.
The Treasure Hidden in the Field
For this reason, so many saints have called Mary “the treasurer of divine graces”.
“Mary is full of grace. In her are hidden all the treasures. In her God has placed all graces.” (Richard of St Lawrence)
“Mary is the field and in her is hidden Jesus, the source of all graces.” (St Bonaventure)
“Our Lord has placed every grace in Mary. Any grace we have, comes from her.” (St Bernard)
“In me, are all the graces of the way and the truth.” (Sirach 24:25)
“God has decreed that all graces come through your hands.” (St Ildephonsus)
“O Mary, no one is saved without you. No one received God’s gift except through you.” (St Germanus)
Finder of Grace
“Fear not, O Mary, you did not steal grace like Lucifer, nor did you lose it like Adam, nor did you buy it like Simon the Magician. You have found uncreated grace, God Himself, and have obtained every created good.” (St Albert)
“She found a grace so full that its fullness pours down on every creature.” (St Peter Chrysologos)
“God made the sun so that light could be everywhere. He made Mary so that His mercies could be everywhere. When Mary conceived, she received a jurisdiction over all the Spirit’s manifestations. No creature obtains God’s grace unless dispensed by this compassionate mother.” (St Bernardine)
“Let us go to Mary who gains whatever she asks for her servants. She cannot be frustrated.” (St Bernard)
To gain grace, let us go to the treasurer. Such is God’s will. He is pleased to dispense all through Mary. God says “all” and “all” excludes nothing.
Must Be Sure of Obtaining
To receive graces from Mary, we need confidence. Consider this. Why did Jesus place all His riches in Mary unless she was to enrich her followers. “With me are riches that I may enrich those who love me.” (Pr 8:18) Mary has those riches to serve us.
“The riches of salvation are in Mary’s keeping for our use. Her womb is the treasury of the poor. She is an aqueduct so others can receive her fullness. Why did the Holy Spirit come upon her with more grace when Mary was already ‘full of grace’? Mary was full, but the Holy Spirit made her overflow for our good.” (St Bernard)
The Great Fountain
When there is a great fountain, we can easily draw water. So, we easily find grace and salvation in Mary.
“Because Mary was not born in ancient times, we see graces flowing now which were formerly lacking to the world. Mary, the desirable channel, did not yet exist.” (St Bernard)
“From Mary you will gain blessings you cannot possibly imagine.” (St John Damascene)
In a vision, Venerable Mary Villani saw Mary as a great fountain. All who went to her carried off waters in abundance. Those with good jars preserved their graces. Those with broken vessels (those with sin) received the graces but did not preserve them. Even ungrateful sinners receive innumerable graces every day from Mary.
“Through you, Mary, sinners receive pardon, the worldly souls receive heavenly things and pilgrims receive their country.” (St Augustine)
Two Prerogatives
To rouse ourselves to greater devotion, let us remember Mary’s two great prerogatives. She desires to do good and she has power with her Son. Consider her visit to Elizabeth. Her journey was at least 70 miles. Yet, Mary set out in haste, impelled by her charity to begin immediately her office of dispensing graces.
“She believed the angel’s words and was glad to undertake the task to fulfill her office.” (St Ambrose)
She departed quickly, “Rising, she went in haste.” However, she did not hurry her return.
“Mary stayed about three months.” (Lk 1:56)
“Her charity burning in her heart caused her to hasten.” (St Bonaventure)
Her charity has certainly not decreased after she went to heaven. There, she knows our wants even better and has still greater compassion.
“Mary desires to help us more than we desire to receive. She feels offended if we do not ask. They offend you who neglect to ask for your favours.” (St Bonaventure)
Expects All to Come
“He who finds Mary finds every good. Anyone can find her and no one need fear to approach her. She sends away no one.” (Blessed Raymond)
“Mary invites all, expects all and despises not even the worst sinner.” (Thomas a Kempis)
Whoever seeks her will find her always ready to help. Notice the power of her words. As soon as Elizabeth heard the sound of her greeting “the infant leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Lk 1:41)
“As soon as she pronounced the words, the Holy Spirit was given.” (St Bonaventure)
“Jesus loves to grant us graces through Mary. When He does, He sees them as given not so much to us as to Mary.” (Theopholus)
“Jesus is always forced by the prayers of Mary. He always obeys his true mother. She obtains graces of pardon for the worst sinners. It is impossible for God not to listen to His spotless Mother.” (St Germanus)
Approach With Confidence
Study the wedding feast of Cana. Jesus had said “My hour has not yet come”. (Jn 2:4)
“Yet, in spite of this answer, He obeyed His mother and worked the miracle she asked for”. (St John Chrysostom)
“Let us go with confidence to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace in due season.” (Heb 4:16)
“The throne of grace is Mary.” (St Albert)
“Let us seek for grace and seek it through Mary”. (St Bernard)
“The Holy Spirit has filled Mary with sweetness and made her so precious to God, that whoever seeks graces through her will gain them”. (Revealed by Mary to St Mechtilde)
“Salvation is more easily obtained by our invoking Mary than by our own calling on Jesus’ name”. (St Anselm)
Jesus is always the source of all graces. However, Mary’s prayers for us are more powerful than our prayers. Let us never leave her feet. Brother Reginald OP was ill and asked Mary for his health. Mary appeared, together with St Cecilia and St Catherine, and asked, “What do you want of me?” Reginald did not know what to say. The other saints gave him this advice “Ask for nothing. Just place yourself in Mary’s hands. She will give you a grace greater than you can ask for.” He did this and she restored his health. To receive her visits, we must visit her churches and go before her images.
Example
Ansald from Dole, France was wounded by an arrow in his jaw which was so deep the doctors could not remove the iron head. After four years, he thought of having the wound reopened. He prayed to Mary. He promised to visit her image every year and give alms if she would help him. As soon as he made this vow, he felt the iron drop in his mouth. The next day (even though still ill), he fulfilled his vow. When before her image, he was totally healed.
Prayer
O Mary, you quickly visited Elizabeth. Please visit my poor house so my diseases do not lead to eternal death. Visit me, especially, at the hour of my death. I abandon myself into your hands for I do not even know what graces I need. Since your prayers are never rejected, I make an agreement with you. I will always trust in you, if you take charge of my salvation.