Homily for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, delivered for the residents in one of the nursing homes.

"Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has repealed your sentence; he has driven your enemies away. The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst; you have no more evil to fear." (cf. Zeph 3).

"Truly, God is my salvation, I trust, I shall not fear. For the Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel." (cf. Is 12).

"... 'Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ And Mary said: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord'..." (cf. Lk 1).

Artwork: "Visitation of Carmignano" by Jacopo Pontormo, (c. 1528).