The Visitation
My Soul Rejoices
An original Indweller design (rendered with AI) depicting the joyful meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, two mothers rejoicing in the life they carry and the promises God has kept.
The story
Story Behind the Sculpture
The Visitation begins with a journey. After learning that she will become the mother of Jesus, Mary travels to see her cousin Elizabeth, who is also expecting a child through God's extraordinary grace. Their meeting becomes one of the most joyful encounters in the Gospel.
My Spirit Rejoices captures the moment when the two women stand face to face. Mary is young; Elizabeth is older. Both are visibly pregnant, and their hands draw attention to the children they carry—Jesus and John the Baptist—whose lives are already mysteriously connected.
The sculpture focuses not simply on two expectant mothers, but on their recognition of what God is doing. Elizabeth welcomes Mary as “the mother of my Lord,” while the child within her leaps for joy. Mary responds with the prayer that becomes the Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
The Visitation is a story of joy, faith and accompaniment. Mary carries Christ to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth helps Mary recognize the magnitude of what God has entrusted to her. Their encounter reminds us that faith is often strengthened when it is shared.
What the details mean
Symbolism
Mary and Elizabeth
The two women stand facing one another as the heart of the composition. Their difference in age is intentional: the young Virgin Mary and the older Elizabeth have each received an unexpected vocation to motherhood through the grace of God.
The Two Children
Although Jesus and John the Baptist are unseen, their presence defines the entire encounter. Christ is carried within Mary, while John leaps within Elizabeth's womb at the arrival of the Lord.
Their Joined Hands
The women's hands physically connect them, expressing affection, support and shared understanding. Their meeting is not distant or formal; it is an intimate encounter between two women whose lives have suddenly been transformed.
Mary's Joy
Mary's youthful expression reflects the joy that gives the sculpture its title, My Spirit Rejoices. Her joy is not simply happiness at seeing Elizabeth; it comes from recognizing God's goodness and faithfulness.
Elizabeth's Welcome
Elizabeth's older face and warm expression convey recognition and blessing. She receives Mary with joy and immediately acknowledges the extraordinary identity of the Child Mary carries.
The Expectant Mothers
Their pregnancies are deliberately visible. The sculpture places the mystery of new life at the center of the composition and reminds the viewer that the events of salvation history are already unfolding within these two mothers.
Options
Available in a Variety of Sizes and Materials
The sculpture can be adapted in scale and presentation for church gardens, Marian shrines, schools, hospitals, Respect Life settings and other devotional spaces.
Materials
- Bronze
- Fiberglass
- Resin Stone
Sizes
- Miniature
- Half-Life Size
- Life-Size
- Monumental
Scripture reflection
Scripture Reflection
Luke 1:41–42
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice…”
Before either child is born, the encounter between Christ and John has already begun. Elizabeth's joy—and the movement of the child within her—reveals that Mary's arrival carries something far greater than an ordinary family visit.
Luke 1:43
“And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
Elizabeth recognizes both Mary and the Child she carries. Her greeting expresses humility, wonder and one of the earliest acknowledgments in the Gospel of the extraordinary identity of Jesus.
Luke 1:46–47
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Mary answers Elizabeth's blessing not by drawing attention to herself, but by praising God. The Magnificat gives the sculpture its title and transforms this intimate encounter between two women into a proclamation of God's faithfulness.
Looking for Something Unique?
Every community has its own story to tell. If you don't see exactly what you're looking for in the Indweller Collection, our artists can work with you to create an original sculpture designed specifically for your church, school, cemetery, hospital, or campus.