On 31 May in the Christian calendar, we celebrate The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary feast. This festival commemorates the visit of the blessed virgin to her cousin Elizabeth, as is recorded in the Gospel of Luke (1:39-56). Following Elizabeth’s greeting, Mary bursts into the song of praise and thanksgiving, and thanksgiving that we have come to know as the Magnificat. At the Patronal Eucharist last week, the Singing Angels sang Sing Jubilate Deo by Jerry Estes; the lyrics of this song echo the words of the Magnificat.

Sing Jubilate Deo,
come and rejoice with gladness.
Sing Jubilate Deo,
come sing a joyful song!
How can my heart keep silent when there is music in my soul?
We will rejoice and let the praises flow.
We have a vision; we have a dream.
We have a common goal.

Whenever I think about the Feast of the Visitation, I am reminded of Jeremy Taylor’s beautiful description of the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth as ‘a collision of joys’. It is a joy which was designed for all the world. We are told by Luke that Mary “hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea”(Luke 1:39) to share her joy with her cousin. As a school, we are invited to share that joy as a community.

REVD RAKGADI KHOBO
CHAPLAIN