Perhaps some wonder how Elizabeth was related to the Virgin, when the Virgin was of the tribe of Judah, and Elizabeth of the daughters of Aaron, for the Law required that marriages should be of the same tribe, and therefore the kinship was between those who came from the same tribe. To this we can also say that since the time of the captivity the generations have been mixed, or better - the following: Aaron had for his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Aminadab, and this was of the tribe of Judah. You see, Our Lady was a relative of Elizabeth from the beginning, from Aaron. Since Aaron's wife came from the tribe of Judah, from which the Mother of God was, and Elizabeth was from the daughters of Aaron, it follows that Elizabeth is a relative of the Mother of God. For her foremother, Aaron's wife, was of the tribe of Judah. Look also at the succession of kinship: Aaron's wife is Elizabeth, and Zachariah's wife is Elizabeth, as descended from her. But let's see what the Virgin says. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be unto Me according to thy word": I am the painter's board; let the painter write what he wants; let the Lord do what pleases Him. Obviously, what was said before: "how it will be" was not an expression of unbelief, but of a desire to know the image; for if she had not believed, she would not have said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto Me according to thy word. Know also that Gabriel means a man of God, Mary is a lady, and Nazareth is sanctification. Therefore, when God was to be made man, it is fitting that Gabriel is sent, which means: the man of God; and the greeting is performed in a holy place, that is, in Nazareth, for where God is, there is nothing unclean.

     And Mary arose in these days, and went in haste to the hill country, to the city of Judah, and went into the house of Zacharias, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and cried out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 

The Virgin, hearing from the Angel that Elizabeth had conceived, hastened to her, partly rejoicing in the well-being of her kinsman, and partly as very prudent, desiring to be finally convinced whether the truth had been spoken by Him who had appeared to her, so that, according to the justice of what was said about Elizabeth, she would not doubt what concerned Herself. For though she had hoped, yet she was afraid lest she might be deceived, and this was not out of unbelief, but out of a desire to know the matter more accurately. Zechariah lived in the hill country; that's why Virgo is in a hurry there. And John, having received a certain special gift over other people, plays in his mother's womb, which is why he is greater than the prophets (Matt. 11:9), for they prophesied after their birth, and he was vouchsafed such a gift while still in his mother's womb. Look: the Virgin greeted Elizabeth, that is, began to speak with her. Thus, the voice of the Virgin was the voice of God incarnate in Her, and therefore He vouchsafed grace to the Forerunner while still in Her womb and made Her a prophet, for the prophesied words of Elizabeth to Mary were not the words of Elizabeth, but of the Child; and the mouth of Elizabeth only served him, just as the mouth of Mary served the Eternal in Her womb, the Son of God. For Elizabeth was then filled with the Spirit, when the child leaped in the womb; If the baby hadn't leaped up, she wouldn't have prophesied. As it is said of the prophets that they first came to a supernatural state and were inspired, and then prophesied, so perhaps John, as if inspired, first leaped up, then prophesied through the mouth of his mother. What did he prophesy? "Blessed art Thou among women." Then, since many holy women bore unworthy children, for example, Rebekah Esau, he says: "And blessed is the fruit of Thy womb." It can also be understood in another way: "Blessed art Thou among women." Then, as if someone were asking: why? - gives the reason: "Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb," that is, for the fruit of Thy womb is God, for God alone is blessed, as David also says; "Blessed is he who is coming" (Psalm 117:26). For in Scripture it is usual to use the conjunction "and" instead of the conjunction "for"; for example: "Give us help in distress, for the protection of men is vain" (Psalm 59:13), instead of: for the salvation of man is vain; and again: "Behold, Thou art angry, and we have sinned" (Isaiah 64:5), instead of: for we have sinned. - He calls the Lord the "fruit of the womb" of the Mother of God, because the conception was without a husband. The rest of the infants are the births of the fathers, but Christ is the fruit of one womb of the Mother of God, for She alone bore Him.

     And whence is it to me that the Mother of my Lord has come to me? For when the voice of Thy greeting came to my ears, the babe leaped with joy in my womb. And blessed is she who believes, for what was spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled.

 As later, when Christ came to be baptized, John rebuked Him out of reverence, saying: "I am not worthy" (Matt. 3:14, 11), so now he proclaims through his mother: "Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my Lord came to me," calling the pregnant woman the Mother, before She gave birth to the Lord. It is not customary to call other wives mothers before they give birth, for fear of unfortunate childbirth, that is, an eruption; and there was no such suspicion about the Virgin. Maria! And before Thou didst give birth, Thou art a Mother, and blessed, because Thou didst believe that there would be a fulfillment of what the Lord had said to Thee.

     And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, because He has looked upon the humility of His servant, for henceforth all generations shall bless Me. that the Mighty One hath made me great, and his name is holy; and His mercy is for generations of generations to those who fear Him.

The Virgin, being absolutely sure of the truth of what was foretold to Her, glorifies God, attributing the miracle not to Himself, but to Him; for he, he says, hath looked upon me humble, and I did not look upon him; He showed Me mercy, and I did not seek Him. And "henceforth all generations shall bless Me," not only Elizabeth, but also the generations of believers. For what to please? Is it for My virtue? No! But because God has shown greatness over Me. - She called Him "Strong" so that everyone would believe Her words, considering that the Lord is able to do this. "His name" was called "holy" in order to show that the Purest One, conceived in the womb of a woman, is not in the least defiled, but remains Holy. "His mercy" is not to Me alone, but also to all who fear Him; for those who do not fear Him, but those who are utterly unworthy, receive no mercy. Having said that God's mercy "unto generations of generations," she pointed out that those who fear God receive mercy both in the present generation, that is, in the present age, and in the future generation, that is, in the endless age; for here also they receive a hundredfold, and there even more (Matt. 19:29). Listen: first the soul magnifies the Lord, then the spirit rejoices. Or what is the same thing: the one who walks worthy of God magnifies God. You are called a Christian, do not belittle the dignity and name of Christ through unworthy deeds, but magnify it through the performance of great and heavenly deeds, Then your spirit will rejoice, that is, the spiritual gift you have received through great deeds will rise and prosper, and will not be diminished and, so to speak, will die. Know also that the Scriptures seem to simply call the same thing the spirit and the soul, but that they actually distinguish. For it calls a natural man one who lives according to nature and is guided by human thoughts, for example, in case of hunger he eats, hates the enemy, and in general does not appear to rise above nature in any way; and he calls spiritual the one who overcomes the laws of nature and does not speculate about anything human. Such is the difference in Scripture between the soul and the spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-15; Gal. 6:8). Perhaps doctors distinguish them differently, but we need to listen to the Scriptures, and let doctors err.