Posted on 06/08/2008 4:56:06 AM PDT by markomalley
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On Saturday 31 May, the feast of the Visitation which this year coincided with the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pope Benedict XVI underlined the importance of the Rosary prayer in the family and in the parish and commenting the Gospel of the Visitation, he made us a gift of a few intense words: In the liturgy of today's feast of the Visitation we hear once again the passage of the Gospel of St Luke who narrates the journey of Mary of Nazareth to the house of her elderly cousin Elisabeth (
) When she reaches Elisabeth's house something happens which no artist could ever render with due beauty and profundity. The inward light of the Holy Spirit envelops the two of them. And Elisabeth, illuminated from Heaven exclaims: 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? Look, the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled" (Lk 1,42-45). These words might appear out of all proportion for the actual context. Elisabeth is one of many elderly woman in Israel and Mary is an ordinary girl living in a remote village of Galilee. What can they be and what can they do in a world where other persons and other powers count? Nevertheless, Mary amazes us once again; her heart is pure, totally open to the light of God; her soul is sinless, free of the burden of pride and selfishness. At the words of Elisabeth her spirit bursts forth in a song of praise, which is an authentic and profound 'theological' reading of history: a reading which we must continue to learn from Our Lady whose faith is without shadow or fault. My soul magnifies the Lord. Mary acknowledges God's greatness. This is the fist indispensable sentiment of faith; the sentiment which reassures human creatures, freeing them from fear, even in the midst of the storms of history. Looking with the eyes of faith deeper than the surface, Mary 'sees' God's work in history (
) her Magnificat, centuries and millennia later, is still the truest and most profound interpretation of history, whereas the readings of many wise men of this world have been contradicted down through the centuries by the events... (Benedict XVI, 31 May 2008). |
Wonderful post, thank you.
Outstanding.
“The Visitation is Christ’s charity in action in Mary, revealed to us in all its beauty so we too may hasten to carry Jesus to those around us.”
Beautiful!
The Brown Scapular (Catholic Caucus)
The History of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Homilies preached by Father Robert Altier on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Marian Associations Unite to Celebrate Immaculate Heart
Solemnity Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary
That last paragraph speaks volumes to me. (Too much to copy and paste.)
Feast of the Visitation (of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth) [Ecumenical]
SEASON OF ANNOUNCEMENT - Sunday Dec. 3, 2006 -The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth
HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION FROM 2001-2005
Jesus taught that abortion is wrong while He was in the womb of Mary. (Luke 1)
"Never apologize for the Blessed Virgin Mary!"
~~Mother Angelica
Crazy, man...Mary didn't teach us that stuff...Jesus did...
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