†Quote of the Day
"Where there is no love, put love and you will find love."
–St. John of the Cross †Today's Meditation
"Dearly beloved Mother, grant, if it is possible, that I may have no other spirit but yours to know Jesus and his divine will; that I may have no other soul but yours to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but yours to love God with a love as pure and passionate as yours. I do not ask you for visions, revelations, feelings of devotion, or spiritual pleasures. It is your privilege to see God clearly; it's your privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it's your privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of your Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men, and demons; it is your privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God, just as you wish . . . The only grace I beg you to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, so be it, to all that you did while on earth; amen, so be it, to all that you are now doing in heaven; amen, so be it, to all that you are doing in my soul, so that you alone may fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity."
—St. Louis de Montfort, p.160 An Excerpt From
Manual for Marian Devotion †Daily Verse
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever."
–Luke 1:46-55 Feast of the Visitation The Feast of the Visitation celebrates the providential meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, when two of the Church's greatest prayers were first spoken. After being told by the Archangel Gabriel that she would give birth to the Son of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was then pregnant with John the Baptist. In the presence of Jesus in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, Elizabeth exclaimed through the Holy Spirit, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb!" Mary, overflowing with joy, responded with her Magnificat. |  click to read more | | St. Petronille St. Petronille (1st c.), also known as Petronilla, was a virgin martyr of the early Church in Rome. According to tradition she was connected to St. Peter the Apostle; she may have been either his natural daughter, servant, convert (spiritual daughter), or co-laborer in the faith. It is also a tradition that St. Petronilla was cured of palsy by St. Peter. She is remembered for being beautiful, for refusing marriage to a pagan king due to her vow of chastity, and for suffering martyrdom for her unwavering faith. In the 8th century the chapel containing her relics became the burial place of French kings. This is due to the fact that she was the supposed daughter of St. Peter, and the French kings were considered the "adopted sons" of St. Peter; therefore, St. Petronille was invoked as an intercessor for all treaties between the Holy See and the French crown. Her relics were later moved to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and on her feast day Mass at St. Peter's is offered for France and attended by French residents living in Rome. St. Petronille is the patronness of the dauphins of France, mountain travelers, and against fever. Her feast day is May 31st. | Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals. Or Rom 12:9-16 Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation. Responsorial Psalm Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 R.(6) Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel. Alleluia See Lk 1:45 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 1:39-56 Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
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 and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever." Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.
| Daily Meditation: Luke 1:39-56 How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43) On this feast of the Visitation, close your eyes and imagine that you are Elizabeth. You and Zechariah are past child-bearing age, and you have resigned yourself to remaining childless. But then, Zechariah returns from his duties as a Temple priest describing an encounter with an angel and the amazing promise he heard. And soon you find yourself pregnant! It seems too good to be true, despite the angel's assurance. So instead of telling everyone, you stay quietly at home, praying and preparing for this major life change. Six months along, you begin to feel a tinge of concern. Are you too old for this? Would there be complications? Who would help you with the birth? You try to remain prayerful, but you can't completely banish worry. Then you hear a knock at your door, and you recognize the voice of your young cousin Mary. How did she know how much you needed her? In response to her greeting, the baby in your womb moves unmistakably. What immense joy you, your child, Mary, and Jesus share at that moment! Mary quickly assures you that she isn't just stopping by on her way to somewhere else. No, it's a visitation with a serious purpose. She intends to settle down and stay until your baby is born. She promises to help you in every way she can. She will cook and clean with you and spend hours talking and praying and singing with you. With her you will recount the wonders you've both experienced, what God has in store for his beloved people through the ministry of your special sons, and what being their mothers might demand of each of you. Just as she did with Elizabeth, Mary is eager to visit you, too. In all of your challenges or uncertainties, she can be there to help you through her prayers and example. Let her companionship be a source of encouragement for you. "Lord, thank you for sending Mary to visit me!" Zephaniah 3:14-18
(Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6 | From today's 1st Holy Scripture:
"Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer." end of verse. They say that to sin is easy. It is the wide and easy road most take. Why is it easy? Because of our nature, from Eve, from the dirt of concupiscence. But with Mother Mary comes the new Dawn, the openness to God's Grace. From here we now can have a hard time sinning. Once we enter into this life of Grace. | We pray today:
" God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation. Among you is the great and Holy One of Israel." | In the Gospel today we heard:
""Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" said St. Elizabeth, Mother Mary's cousin. It was an honor for the Mother of our Lord to visit. Not everyone sees the honor, but the lowly do. Not everyone has this faith, but some do. And it is because of the few and faithful, that this love and light will not end. It is the destination set forth from God Himself, for those that desire God's holy will to be done.
My friends, I live in a different world than most. I strive to live by God's grace and in His grace and to do His will...and I see everything in a different light. The world offers "lifestyles" to live by and to fight for, calling others bigots and they are violent. Fulton Sheen said first comes nudity, then comes violence. He was speaking of Adam and Eve, but also of the horrible violence we face today brought about by immorality and fueled by sexual perversions. Everything in the world can be used for the better, or for the worse.
Our Lord teaches us to take care. And so He gives us a model of true love of God...He gives us His Mother.
She loved God dearly before Jesus was brought into her life. She loved Jesus with all her might and soul and strength. And she loves Him more than ever now in eternal realms.
This is our model to follow, to love God with all we got. This is why she has grace from Heaven to help us love God as we ought. | Let us pray:
Lord, my life needs more grace. Grace is a beautiful gift and light for the world. May we seek to live in grace and therefore...love God's life and will...forever. | Random Bible Verse 1
Deuteronomy 32:4 "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
