VISITATION OF MARY/NOVENA to the HOLY SPIRIT
15 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. 16
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be discouraged!
Zephaniah like many
prophets offered the Israelites a plan for repentance and invites the people to
walk in it. He navigates the path back to God, outlining it this way.[1]
1.
Wait for God to remove the cancerous population.
(vv. 8-11)
2.
Trust God to restore a remnant of humble,
obedient men and women. (vv. 12-13)
3.
Look to God and rejoice that he has taken away
your guilt. (vv. 14-15)
4.
Hope in God to renew your peace and strength
(vv. 16-17)
5.
Allow God to recover the appointed feasts and
the lost people (vv. 18-20)
Through Christ the lord has accomplished this for the
world! The lord demonstrates his love for us by loving us into existence and
by giving us freewill to love him in return. But when we reject that
love he not wanting our destruction came through the virgin to woo us back to
him. He came as a poor child born in a stable and upon becoming a man
attracted his apostles by his power and love. We all play a role in the plan of
God and are forevermore like the apostles “fishers of men.” Notice how our lord took
simple fishermen and using their raw natural talent he, even in their
sinfulness, was able to mold them into legends. To do this for them they had to
have faith. Faith is the opposite of fear. We must have the faith of a shepherd who trusts even during the
longest night that there will be a dawn and remain unsullied to our purpose and
protect those entrusted to us as a shepherd does his sheep. There is no better
example for us of purity of purpose then Christ’s own mother Mary.
THIS day is
called the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because on it Mary visited
her cousin Elizabeth, whom, as the angel had told her, God had blessed with a
son in her old age. In the Introit of the Mass the Church sings: “Hail, holy
parent, who didst bring forth the King Who rules heaven and earth forever. My
heart hath uttered a good word; I speak of my works for the King.”
Prayer. Vouchsafe, O Lord, we beseech Thee, unto us
Thy servants the gift of Thy heavenly grace, that, as in the childbirth of the
Blessed Yirgin our salvation began, so from the votive solemnity of her
visitation we may obtain an increase of peace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ,
etc. Amen.
EPISTLE. Cant. ii. 8-14.
Behold
lie cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills. My beloved is
like a roe or a young hart; behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through
the windows, looking through the lattices. Behold my beloved speaketh to me:
Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come. For winter is
now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in our land, the
time of pruning is come: the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: the fig-tree
hath put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come: my dove in the clifts of the rock,
in the hollow places of the wall, show me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears:
for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
GOSPEL. Luke i. 39-47.
At that time: Mary rising up went into the
hill-country with haste, into a city of Juda: and she entered into the house of
Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard
the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled
with the Holy Ghost: and she cried out with a loud voice and said : Blessed art
thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to
me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold, as soon as the voice of thy
salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. And
blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished
that were spoken to thee by the Lord. And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the
Lord; and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
1. As
soon as Mary heard that Elizabeth was with child, she hastened to her. The
alacrity of the Blessed Virgin teaches us that we should take part with
gladness in the happiness of our fellowmen, and quickly make ourselves ready to
discharge our duties, sacrificing for that object, if necessary, even our own
much-loved retirement, our devotions and other exercises of piety.
2. Mary
visited her cousin out of real love, not out of unmeaning ceremony. Would that
her example were followed in our visits!
3. By the visit of the Blessed Virgin John was sanctified in his
mother s womb, and Elizabeth, enlightened by the Holy Ghost, knew, by the
miraculous movements of her child, that Mary was the Mother of the Lord. Such
effects did this visit produce. What would Jesus effect in us if we received
Him with due preparation!
EXPLANATION
OF THE CANTICLE “MAGNIFICAT”
In this
hymn Mary with joy praises God, the Lord, that He has regarded her humility,
and made her to be the Mother of His only begotten Son, wherefore she should be
called blessed by all generations; and she declares the truths and mysteries
which the incarnation brought to light. The mercy of God, namely, reaches from
generation to generation to them that fear Him. He scatters the thoughts of the
proud, and puts down from their seats the mighty; but He exalts the humble. He
fills those who hunger for justice with good things, but those who think
themselves rich He sends away empty. He receives all true Israelites, and
performs in them the promises which He gave to the fathers. This hymn is
repeated by the Church every day at Vespers, in praise of the work of
redemption, begun by the incarnation of the Son of God in Mary. Would that
every Christian, since he becomes one only by Christ being, as it were, born in
him, might share those feelings which the Blessed Virgin and Mother has
expressed in this hymn of praise, and, with the Church, daily praise God for
the mystery of the incarnation!
Aspiration. O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
Who didst descend from the highest heavens to the womb of the Virgin Mary,
didst therein rest for nine months, and with her didst condescend to visit and
sanctify St. John, grant that we, by the practice of good works, particularly
of humility, may become partakers of the fruits of Thy incarnation.
Things to Do[3]
- Read Luke
1:39-47, the story of the Visitation. Read and meditate on the words of
the Magnificat and the Hail Mary, two prayers from this feast. For those
with children, depending on the ages, assign memorization for these
prayers. Also discuss the meaning of the text as a family.
- This feast
reminds us to be charitable to our neighbors. Try to assist some mother
(expectant or otherwise), visit the elderly or sick, make a dinner for
someone, etc.
The
novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was
first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back
to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It
is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the
Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and
strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.
On
the day of Ascension our Lord went to the Father. The disciples were
heartbroken but He promised them that He would send the Holy Spirit (Novena to the Holy
Spirit)
saying it is better for us that He leave us so we may receive power from on
high. The first gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of Holy fear; to respond to
God’s love as a son or daughter rather than a servant.
ACT
OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
On
my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul
and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity,
the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the
Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to
grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept
from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant
that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow
Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You,
by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of
Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and
adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit,
Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against
You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to
You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth."
Amen.
To be recited daily during the Novena
Prayer for The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
To be recited daily during the Novena
Prayer for The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Who, before ascending into heaven, did promise to send the
Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples,
deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the
work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may
despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things
that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the
light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest
way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear
my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that
oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know
myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that
I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I
may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to
displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and
animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.
(To be recited daily during the Novena)
(To be recited daily during the Novena)
(Friday, 6th Week of Easter)
Holy
Spirit! Lord of Light! From Your clear celestial height, Your pure beaming
radiance give!
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit, and hast given us forgiveness all sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us your sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.
Our
Father and Hail Mary ONCE.
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
Glory be to the Father SEVEN TIMES.
Act of Consecration, Prayer for the Seven Gifts
World
No Tobacco Day serves to generate awareness about the health risks of tobacco
use and to advocate for more effective policies that can help reduce worldwide
tobacco use. Tobacco, a brown product prepared by curing the leaves of a
tobacco plant, is believed to have originated thousands of years ago somewhere
in the Americas. It was later discovered by Christopher Columbus and
subsequently introduced to the rest of the world. Tobacco contains the alkaline
nicotine, a stimulant which makes tobacco very addictive. Tobacco use is known
to cause a myriad of cancers and
according to the World Health Organization, is the largest preventable cause of
death and disease today. In 1987, the World Health Organization established
World No Tobacco Day in an effort to draw attention to the risks of tobacco use
and move towards safer and better public health for all. Since then,
World No Tobacco Day has evolved into an important annual event that generates
awareness for other tobacco related issues such as illegal trade, secondhand
smoke and tobacco control.
World No Tobacco
Day Facts & Quotes
·
In
World No Tobacco Day 2018, the World Health Organization is emphasizing the
damage tobacco can cause to the heart.
·
According
to the World Health Organization, nearly 80% of the world's 1 billion smokers
live in low and middle-income countries.
·
Arsenic,
lead and tar are just three of the 7,000 chemicals that are found in tobacco
smoke.
·
In
2015, 15.3% of American women smoked, compared to 20.5% of American men.
·
Smoking
is a classy way to commit suicide - Kurt Vonnegut - American author
World No Tobacco Day Top Events and
Things to Do
·
Think
about your health. Quit smoking or encourage others to do so. Many help books
are available online to coach you through the withdrawal and help you find
alternative solutions to the cravings.
·
Educate
youth
and teenagers in your neighborhood about the negative effects of smoking and
encourage them to quit if they have already picked up the habit. The best way
to eradicate smoking is by educating the new generation of the negative effects
of tobacco use.
·
Volunteer
for the Freedom from Smoking program or another like program that helps smokers
quit.
·
Watch
a movie or documentary about smoking and tobacco. Our favorites: The Tobacco
Conspiracy, We Love Cigarettes and Passion for Cigarettes.
·
Lobby
for stricter tobacco advertisement laws and smoking laws in your community.
Tobacco companies continue to be pressured legally to disclose the negative
effects of their product and your help in supporting this legal action can lead
to even stricter laws.
Daily Devotions
·
I
will have no sweets or junk food (Exception Sundays, Holidays and Feast Days
that you fast the day before).
[1]
John Maxwell, The John Maxwell Leadership Bible.
[2]Goffine’s
Devout Instructions, 1896
[3]https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2019-05-31
[5]https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/pentecost/seven.htm
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