Hello all, Happy feast day to all those born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all, Seminarians, Deacons, Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, Monks, Nuns, Reverend Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all women searching for the fruit of the womb and all who pray for those searching for the fruit of the womb Happy feast day to all pregnant women and nursing mothers Happy feast day to all who visit, and all who rejoice and all who pray for pregnant women especially at the point of delivery Happy feast day to all children of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially all who recite Her Holy Rosary with true devotion. Happy feast day all who honour the “Mother of God” Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today May 31st, marks the Feast of “The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary” The Feast of the Visitation represents the visit of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth (Mother of Saint John the Baptist) as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 1:39-56. The Feast of the Visitation is represented in the “Second decade of the Joyful Mystery of the Most Holy Rosary” Catholic History confirms to us that, Mary, having heard at the Annunciation that her cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant, left her home to visit her. Catholic Tradition tells us that Elizabeth and John the Baptist were inspired by the Holy Spirit at the arrival of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Sacred Scripture confirms to us that upon the arrival of the Blessed Virgin May – • Elizabeth prophesied. • Saint John the Baptist, jumped inside of Elizabeth because he knew that the Lord was in the room. The Blessed Virgin Mary pronounced the “Magnificat” (Her hymn and prayer of praise to God) The Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord for goodness and mercy to her. The Magnificat is also known as the “Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours”, which a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church. Mary remained with Elizabeth for about three months Catholic Tradition teaches us that the “Feast of the Visitation” is the second Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary The theme of the second Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary is: Spiritual Fruit and Love of Neighbor. This feast is of medieval origin. Catholic History confirms that the Feast was kept by the Franciscan Order before 1263 when Saint Bonaventure recommended it and the Franciscan chapter adopted it. The Franciscan Breviary spread the celebration of the feast to many churches. In 1389, hoping to obtain an end to the Great Western Schism, Pope Urban VI (who was the 202nd Bishop of Rome since Saint Peter the Apostle) inserted the “Feast of the Visitation” in the Roman Calendar, for celebration on the 2nd of July. In the Tridentine Calendar the “Feast of the Visitation” was celebrated as a Double Feast. When the Roman Catholic Missal of (the 225th Bishop of Rome) “Pope Saint Pius V” was replaced in 1604 by the Roman Missal of (the 231st Bishop of Rome) “Pope Clement VIII”, the Feast of the Visitation became a Double of the Second Class Feast. The “Feast of the Visitation” remained “a Double of the Second Class Feast” until (the 261st Bishop of Rome) Pope Blessed John XXIII reclassified the “Feast of the Visitation” as a Second-Class Feast in 1962. “The Feast of the Visitation” continued to be assigned to the 2nd of July, the day after the end of the octave following the feast of the birth of John the Baptist, who was still in his mothers womb at the time of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, However in 1969, Venerable Pope Paul VI (who was the 262nd Bishop of Rome, since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) moved “The Feast of the Visitation” to the current date – 31st of May. The Holy Father moved the Feast to 31st of May which falls between the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (25 March) and that of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (24 June), so that it would harmonize better with the Gospel story. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUOTE OF THE DAY: (Pope Blessed John Paul II who was the 264th Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ tells us:) One of the invocations in Mary’s litany is “Ark of the Covenant.” Like the Ark of the Covenant of old, Mary brings God’s presence into the lives of other people. As David danced before the Ark, John the Baptist leaps for joy. As the Ark helped to unite the 12 tribes of Israel by being placed in David’s capital, so Mary has the power to unite all Christians in her Son. At times, devotion to Mary may have occasioned some divisiveness, but we Catholics can hope that authentic devotion will lead all to Christ and therefore to one another. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope Blessed John Paul II in his quote on The Mother of the Redeemer he tells us: “Moved by charity, therefore, Mary goes to the house of her kinswoman.... While every word of Elizabeth’s is filled with meaning, her final words would seem to have a fundamental importance: Elizabeth tells her little cousin: …..‘And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her from the Lord’ …….. (Luke 1:45). These words can be linked with the title ‘full of grace’ of the angel’s greeting. Both of these texts reveal an essential Mariological content, namely: • The truth about Mary, who has become really present in the Mystery of Christ precisely because she ‘has believed.’ • The “fullness of grace” announced by the angel means the gift of God himself. Mary’s faith, proclaimed by Elizabeth at the visitation, indicates how the Virgin of Nazareth responded to this gift” (Words of Pope Blessed John Paul II). ……………………………………………………………………………………. REFLECTION OF THE DAY The Magnificat (Mary’s hymn of praise to God) provides great material for meditation on the Visitation, the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, pictured above. When the angel Gabriel informs Mary that she is to be the Mother of God, he also tells her of her Cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John the Baptist. After Mary gives her famous consent to becoming the Mother of God, -- “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38) -- she goes “with haste” (Luke 1:39) to help Elizabeth, who is delighted to see her. Our Lady then expresses her joy in the Magnificat (Her hymn of praise to God)! Clearly Mary, in hastening to help her cousin, is focused on service to others. In this way she glorifies the Lord in reflecting (and “magnifying”) His goodness and love. And, of course by becoming the Mother of God she will help Him redeem us for our salvation in His Passion! Speaking of magnifying, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen once referred to our Blessed Mother as being like “a magnifying glass that intensifies our love of her Son.” Note that Mary’s joyful claim that “all generations shall call me blessed” in no way takes away from her humility. If she seems to boast here, it is much as Saint Paul does later on in scripture when he says “whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord” (2 Cor 10:17), that is to say, in God’s work being done through us. In this regard, the Magnificat is more than a prayer of praise. It also reminds us about the essential link between humility and holiness. Just as God has “regarded the lowliness of his handmaid” and “has done great things” for Mary in making her the Mother of his Son, so too “he has put down the mighty from their thrones (with his own might!) and has exalted the lowly.” (Note also our Blessed Mother’s humility in referring to herself in this prayer, as she does in giving her consent to Gabriel mentioned earlier, as the Lord’s handmaid, his servant!) As her Divine Son later stressed “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt 23:12, also in slightly different words in Luke 18:14 and Luke 14:11). Jesus wasn’t saying anything new here, either! We read similar thoughts in throughout the Old Testament such as in the Psalms and in this example from the book of Sirach “Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” (Sirach 3:19) The line about God filling “the hungry with good things” resonates later in the Gospels as well, when our Lord says “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled” (Matt 5:7). This serves as a good reminder for us to “stay hungry” for God’s graces in praying and in reading His word in scripture. And as for the rich being sent away empty? This line (in Mary’s hymn of praise) refers to those who live for wealth and power and feel they have everything figured out. These people in-effect wish to be Gods rather than God’s. How can our Lord fill those who are already full--of themselves? How about you? Does your soul magnify the Lord? We may never be able to approach Him from Mary’s level of sanctity as the Mother of God. Still, we Catholics are all called to be Saints nonetheless. Your good example, like our Blessed Mother’s, can help others in their spiritual growth. Do people see Christ’s love and goodness in you? Are you letting God work within you to accomplish His will? Let Mary help give you the graces you need to follow her Son and His Church in praying the Magnificat (Her Hymn of Praise to God)! While with the Church we praise God for the mercies and wonders which He wrought in this mystery, we must apply ourselves to imitating the virtues of which Mary sets us a perfect example. Let us pay particular attention to our visits and conversation, acts which are to many Christians the sources of innumerable dangers and sins. Let us meditate on the holy conversations of the cousins, and the services Mary rendered to Elizabeth, and think how we may imitate Her prudent charity. As Saint Ambrose once said in referring to the wonderful prayer (Magnificat): Let Marys soul be in us to glorify the Lord; let her spirit be in us that we may rejoice in God our Saviour. ---------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray (Oremus) Wonderful Lord, on the Feast of Marys visit to Elizabeth, we are reminded that You are a God of joy and that You always fulfill Your promises. We humbly ask the Blessed Mother to intercede for us when we feel discouraged, so that our souls may always magnify You, O Lord. May she remind us of Your promises and Your faithfulness when the difficulties of life cover us with darkness. Give us a spirit that rejoices in You, our Savior, for all the great things that You have done for us and will continue to bestow upon us, simply because You love us. Thank You for all You have done and will do! Oh Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------ Let us recite the “Magnificat of the Blessed Virgin Mary” (Her hymn of praise to God): My soul glorifies the Lord, * My spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her lowliness; * Henceforth all ages will call me blessed. The Almighty works marvels for me. * Holy his name! His mercy is from age to age, * on those who fear him. He puts forth his arm in strength * and scatters the proud-hearted. He casts the mighty from their thrones * and raises the lowly. He fills the starving with good things, * sends the rich away empty. He protects Israel, his servant, * remembering his mercy, The mercy promised to our fathers, * to Abraham and his sons forever. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Let us pray (Oremus) Oh God our Father in heaven, by whose grace the virgin mother of Your incarnate Son was blessed in bearing him, but still more blessed in keeping Your word: Grant us who honor the exaltation of her lowliness to follow the example of her devotion to Your will; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray (Oremus) Almighty ever-living God, who, while the Blessed Virgin Mary was carrying your Son in her womb, inspired her to visit Elizabeth, grant us, we pray, that, faithful to the promptings of the Spirit, we may magnify your greatness with the Virgin Mary at all times. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to her cousin Saint Elizabeth and her nephew Saint John the Baptist and by her hymn of praise to God, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the history of the “Feast of the Visitation” can be viewed by clicking on the photo which represents the visitation in our group photo section. Feast of the day would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen The Holy Family of (Jesus, Mary and Joseph), we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Oh Mary, conceived without original sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. Amen Ave Maria! Ora pro nobis. Amen! For Homily of the Feast of the Visitation, please click the link below: youtube/watch?v=ph70cfcdALE
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 14:14:13 +0000
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