A few years ago, I had the great joy of visiting Ein Karem in Jerusalem – the place where Mary and her cousin Elizabeth met, and the words of the Magnificat were spoken for the first time. It was on my list of top 3 things I HAD to do while in Israel next to venerating the place where Jesus died on Calvary and jumping into the Sea of Galilee. After spending several days in the desert and walking countless miles throughout the city of Jerusalem, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved when we got in our car and began driving to a more remote part of the city toward Ein Karem- with beautiful green foliage and flowers lining the streets.

My relief was short lived. We parked the car and began walking up to the Church of the Visitation. Yes, it was up. There was a reason why I didn’t walk up Mount Tabor earlier that week, and why every mile in Jerusalem had been counted. Two days after our arrival in Israel, while jumping and swimming in the Sea of Galilee, I broke part of my foot on the slippery wet fishing boat near the city of Tiberius. Somehow (and with the help of splints and bandages), in spite of my injury, I had managed to keep walking… up Calvary, up to Gethsemane, and now, up to the Church of the Visitation.

As I walked up to Ein Karem, I thought about what this looked like to Mary when she approached the home of her cousin. I imagined her joy, knowing she was so close to seeing her friend – and knowing that the journey was almost at an end. She must have been SO tired and worn out from her travels! My friends and I drove the distance Mary took from Nazareth to Jerusalem just a few days before, and it wasn’t an easy one. The desert sun was brutal. The distance was considerable. It occurred to me that Elizabeth wasn’t the only one who needed companionship in that meeting; Mary too, must have needed a friend in her tiredness and in the remaining days of her own pregnancy.

There’s so much to say about that place and the gift that Mary and Elizabeth in their Visitation are to us! But today, I’m going to stop and ponder the summit of that hill at Ein Karem…

I eventually reached the top with my broken foot, thanks to the help of friends. Mary too reached the top, and when she did, she proclaimed the greatness of the Lord. One could say that this was a “mountaintop” moment for Mary and the glory of her unborn son.

So often, the mountaintop (or, Ein Karem) moments in life are proceeded by a long journey – be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. And Mary shows us that these moments are meant to be shared with another… and that we need each other to get there.

Last week, I lived an Ein Karem moment of my own. My friends and I decided to meet one last time for our weekly Bible Study on the Gospel of St. John before pausing for the summer months. As we settled into our weekly evening routine, we took some time to first check in on each other and catch up. What I witnessed – and received – in those moments became a mountaintop “Ein Karem” moment.

Within the span of 30 minutes, I watched, listened, and shared in deep friendship between women. Some came to the group with tears and hearts full of mourning over recent losses. Others came with joys of new life, new homes, and new opportunities. Some spoke of great challenges and seemingly impossible situations of discouragement and doubt. Others spoke of freedom, joy, and rejoicing.

It was only afterward that I realized this was a Five-Way Visitation. We proclaimed the greatness of the Lord, we extended our arms in support for one another, and we called out the presence of God in our midst. There was room for everyone and everything. Our hearts were open and full. We cried tears of joy and tears of sorrow. Some of us had entered after climbing a mountain with a proverbial broken foot. Others were already at the top, extending open arms of welcome to the wearier hearts. Every time we are together, we take turns in the two postures of proclaiming and welcoming.

My friends are my Ein Karem. They are the place where I come to see another, to be welcomed, and ultimately, to proclaim His greatness and His presence among us. We all need an Ein Karem, dear reader! As you ponder these words and the prayer of the Magnificat below, I invite you to ask yourself to identify a “Visitation” or “Ein Karem” Moment from the past month. Who came to you with open arms? Who proclaimed the greatness of the Lord in your presence? Who showed you that Christ was present in your labor and pain?

We cannot live this life alone. It is easy to let insecurity and fear crowd your heart in female friendships. Mary and Elizabeth show us how to let go of those things that bind us to ourselves and invite us to bear witness to the life inside the womb – the life of Christ. If you have not yet experienced what it’s like to be received or to be seen, know that you already are in the heart of Mary. Let’s be like her and run (or walk!) toward that which we love, proclaiming Him in our life and pointing Him out in the lives of others.

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My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him 
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Amen.