November 5 is the feast day of St. Elizabeth, the cousin of the Virgin Mary.
Most of what we know about Elizabeth comes from the Gospel of Luke. Although she and her husband, Zechariah, were both elderly, an angel of the Lord delivered this message: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Lk. 1:13-15).
At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel told Mary not only of her own virgin conception but also of the miracle that Elizabeth was pregnant. Mary immediately went to see her.
When Mary visited her cousin, John leaped with joy in Elizabeth’s womb. In response, Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ...Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Lk. 1:41-45).
Eventually, Elizabeth gave birth to a son named John. As the Gospels tell us, he would grow up to become John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for Jesus.
Get to know St. Elizabeth, the patron saint of pregnant women, through our Spotify playlist inspired by her role in raising John, the one who points us to Jesus — featuring artists Audrey Assad and Lauren Daigle and themes of patience and faith.
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