And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
και ποθεν μοι τουτο ινα ελθη η μητηρ του κυριου μου προς με
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Just as John the Baptist initially hesitated to baptize Christ out of profound respect, exclaiming, ‘I am not worthy’ (Matthew 3:11-14), he now, through his mother, questions, ‘Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’ It is uncommon to refer to women as mothers before they have given birth due to concerns over adverse outcomes during delivery; however, there was no such apprehension regarding the Virgin.
The Mother of God, who gave birth to our Lord, is undeniably recognized as the Mother of God. The mother of the blessed Baptist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, also welcomed her in this manner. Who would be so irrational as to refuse to acknowledge the Holy Virgin as the Theotokos in accordance with the Gospel? Therefore, let not those who are at peace be disturbed by referring to Him merely as a youth or a child, lest they gradually deny His very coming; for it is the angel who calls Him a child, yet He is equally the Lord (Luke 2:11-12).
In her advanced years, Elizabeth gave birth to the final prophet, while Mary, in her youth, bore the Lord of the Angels. The daughter of Aaron welcomed ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness’ (Luke 3:4), and the daughter of King David brought forth the Word of the King of Heaven. The wife of the priest delivered the Angel of His Presence, while David's offspring gave life to the Mighty God of the earth. The once barren woman gave birth to the One who forgives transgressions, and the virgin bore the One who wipes away sins. Elizabeth’s child allows for the reconciliation of the people through repentance, while Mary’s child purifies the earth from defilement.
The elder generation illuminated the house of Jacob, represented by John, while the younger generation radiated the Truth to all nations. An angel announced to Zacharias that the one to be beheaded would proclaim Him who was crucified, and he who faced hatred would herald Him who suffered from envy. The baptizer with water would speak of Him who baptizes with fire and the Holy Spirit. The lamp, not dim, proclaimed the Sun of Righteousness, filled with the Spirit, the Giver of the Spirit; the priest's voice sounded forth, declaring Him who would come on the last day with the trumpet’s call. The voice proclaimed the Word, and the one who witnessed the dove proclaimed Him upon whom the dove rested, just as lightning precedes the thunder.
Elizabeth does not express herself out of ignorance; she understands that through grace and the work of the Holy Spirit, the mother of the prophet receives a greeting from the Mother of our Lord in recognition of her son's purpose. Acknowledging that this blessing is not earned by human effort but is a gift of divine grace, she exclaims: "Wherefore is this to me?" This conveys a sense of awe at the extraordinary gift bestowed upon her, realizing that the Mother of my Lord has visited her. She recognizes that this honor does not come from her own merit. What have I done to deserve this? For what righteousness, for what actions, for what merits? It is rare for women to express such profound affection; that the Mother of my Lord has come to me is remarkable. She anticipates a miracle and comprehends the mystery: the mother of the Lord is abundant in the Word and filled with the presence of God.
From where has this remarkable occurrence come to me? Just as the son of Elizabeth, when the Lord visited him later, proclaimed his unworthiness for such a divine coming, so too does his mother express her humility regarding the arrival of the Blessed One. Yet, she referred to Her as Mother even before the birth, and acknowledged the One who would be born of Her as the Lord, affirming the angel's message and imparting to her an even deeper, unwavering faith.
Do not overlook the prophecy of Elizabeth, who exclaimed, ‘How is it that the mother of my Lord has come to me?’ For He who ordained the birth of the Baptist and consecrated the Forerunner as a Prophet even before his emergence from the womb (Jeremiah 1:4) also bestowed upon him the revelation of the mystery. Given that those who remain in the womb are unable to speak, the Baptist was granted the means to proclaim the Redeemer through his mother’s voice.
Following joy, which undoubtedly holds the foremost position, humility takes root in Elizabeth's spirit; it accompanies the devout in all walks of life. When challenges arise, they acknowledge that it is the will of God; in times of happiness, they humbly recognize their unworthiness of such blessings. This sentiment resonates in heaven, and to the greatest extent. In the book of Revelation, it is depicted that the Lamb is seated upon the throne, and the twenty-four elders bow down before Him, proclaiming: ‘Worthy are you, Lord, to receive glory and honour’ (Rev. 4:10-11). There is an account wherein the adversary battled a righteous man, managing to conquer every virtue, yet succumbing to the power of humility (Macarius).
Humility extinguished his fiery arrows and shattered his strained bow. It is an essential virtue for all created beings; true greatness belongs solely to God. Humility is the bedrock of all goodness. It is clear that not everything was disclosed to Elizabeth by the Holy Spirit; nonetheless, she received profound insights, for otherwise her words would appear exaggerated. Elizabeth, a descendant of Aaron and the wife of a priest who had recently witnessed a miracle, has birthed a son destined to be among the most righteous. Despite this, she embodies humility, as she recognizes Mary's exalted status, particularly from just a single visit. Even if she had been honored by the Sanhedrin or visited by Caesar from Rome, her humility would have remained unwavering. Elizabeth's understanding of the Fruit of the Mother of God, whom she bore in her womb, is captured eloquently in a church hymn: ‘Why hast thou come to me, O blessed among women? Thou art the King and I am the soldier; Thou art the Lawgiver and I am the lawmaker; Thou art the Word and I am the herald of the Kingdom of Heaven.’ She was the first to acknowledge the Holy Virgin as the Mother of God, grasping Her true identity. Elizabeth experienced profound emotions, which led her to draw a comparison with the young Mary, who was previously known for nothing particularly remarkable except her pious lineage, a blessing resulting from her parents' prayers, and her upbringing in the temple. This reflects the Gospel narratives surrounding the earthly life of Jesus Christ, particularly the moment when Mary encounters Elizabeth.
The righteous Elizabeth refers to the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of the Lord, asking, “How can this come to me, that the Mother of my Lord should visit me?” This title holds the same significance as the term Theotokos.
After the Archangel Gabriel departed from the Blessed Virgin, she quickly made her way to Elizabeth’s home to witness the sign that had been revealed to her by the celestial messenger. At Elizabeth’s residence, Mary received two confirmations regarding the truth of the Archangel’s message. First, she verified with her own eyes what the Archangel had declared about Elizabeth. Second, in Elizabeth, the revelation of the Holy Spirit identified the Mother of God. Upon hearing Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth experienced a remarkable movement in her child, prompting a joyful response (v. 44), and at that moment, the Holy Spirit, who enveloped her, disclosed the meaning and purpose of this extraordinary occurrence.
Filled with reverence, she praised Mary and the holy fruit of her womb with a loud voice. Elizabeth acknowledged her own unworthiness and recognized the visitation of the Mother of God as a gracious act of divine mercy. Finally, she celebrated Mary’s unwavering faith in the message delivered by the Archangel.
Furthermore, Elizabeth articulates the identity of Mary’s motherhood by expressing her astonishment: "Whence is this happiness to me, that the Mother of my Lord has come to me?"
Upon receiving such a profound and wondrous message, the blessed Virgin Mary felt a deep urge to share this joy with someone who held a special place in her heart. The just Joseph, due to his age and status, was not the individual with whom she could divulge her miraculous joy. Instead, it was most fitting for her to connect with her elder relative Elizabeth, who had also been graced with this same joy and had acted as a second mother to her during her time in the temple. Without hesitation, she prepared for her journey. The path ahead was neither short nor easy; it demanded at least three or four days of travel through rugged mountains. Yet propelled by an unexplainable fervor of joy, she traversed the entire distance from Judea to her kinswoman's home.
Upon entering the familiar abode, she greeted Elizabeth with warmth and affection. This sudden visit and Mary's exuberant greeting left Elizabeth profoundly moved. At that moment, the child within Elizabeth stirred, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaiming with a loud voice, “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of thy greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."
"Whence is this to me" expresses a sense of humility directed towards the Mother of the Redeemer, questioning the source of such joy and how it has come to be. The title "Mother of the Lord" indicates that the Holy Spirit, who filled Elizabeth and unveiled to her the mystery surrounding Mary, made it known that the Mother of the Messiah was present. Thus, the term Lord here specifically refers to Jesus Christ. Elizabeth recognizes the significance of this encounter by observing that the child in her womb leaped for joy, highlighting the uniqueness of the child's response.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS