>The Annunication and the Salutation are not the same. The Annunciation (Luke
>1:26-38) is where Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus. The
>Salutation, also known as the Visitation, is where Mary goes to her Aunt
>Elizabeth, who greets her (hence "Salutation") and sings the Magnificat (Luke
>1:39-55).
There is no 'Feast of the Salutation' in any calendar which I know. The only
Salutation commonly so called is the Angelic Salutation, Ave Maria (Hail, Mary)
which took place at the Annunciation. It is said of Mary, 'And when she saw
him,
(the angel) she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner
of salutation this should be.'
It is said however at the Visitation that Mary 'saluted Elisabeth' (not the
reverse) and it may be that our original enquirer was using the term in
relation to this
feast. If so,it may be of interest to note that it is a comparatively
modern (i.e. medieval) feast. It made its first appearance in the 13th
century, when it was
introduced into the Franciscan order by the General Chapter of 1263 at the
instigation of St Bonaventure. Its extension to the universal Church in
order to obtain the end of the Great Schism was decided upon by Urban VI and
prescribed by
Boniface IX in 1389, but accepted only by the part of the Church under his
obedience.
The Council of Basle, in 1441, again ordered its celebration, and Pius V
finally established it for the whole RC Church.
It was formerly observed on 2nd July, but in 1969 moved to 31st May. I do
not know why it was moved; there is at present no feast in the General
Calendar on 2nd July,
and the Easter cycle would be finished well before this date, so there was
no question of avoiding a clash.
Oriens.
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