Better men go to weaker men to give them some advantage by their
visits. Thus the Savior came to John to sanctify John’s baptism. And as soon as
Mary heard the angel announce that she would conceive the Savior and that her
relative Elizabeth had a child in her womb, “she rose up in haste and went into
the mountain country, and entered Elizabeth’s house.” Jesus was in her womb,
and he hastened to sanctify John, who was still in his own mother’s womb. That
is, before Mary came and greeted Elizabeth, the infant did not rejoice in her
womb. But, as soon as Mary spoke the word that the Son of God, in his mother’s
womb, had supplied, “the infant leapt in joy.” At that moment Jesus made his
forerunner a prophet for the first time.
2. Mary was the one most suitable to bear God’s Son. After the angel
spoke to her, it was also appropriate for her to go up to the mountain country
and to stay in the higher regions. Hence Scripture says, “Mary rose up in those
days and went into the mountain country.” She was eager, and not slothful. Thus
it was right for her to hasten on eagerly. She was filled with the Holy Spirit;
it was appropriate for her to be led to the higher regions and have God’s power
protecting her, for that power had already overshadowed her. Hence she went
“into the city of Judah, and Zechariah’s house, and she greeted Elizabeth. And
it happened that, when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leapt in her
womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Origen, Homily on Luke 7.1-2,
in Homilies on Luke and Fragments on Luke [trans. Joseph T. Lienhard;
The Fathers of the Church 94; Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America
Press, 2009], 28-29)
