Today we celebrate the Visitation of the Virgin Mary! ✝️
May 31, 2024
Hello John,
As we approach the Feast of Saint Anthony on June 13th, I am writing to extend a heartfelt invitation to you to join us in commemorating this special occasion in a deeply meaningful way.
Saint Anthony, known as the patron saint of lost things and one of the most beloved saints in the Catholic tradition, continues to inspire millions around the world with his compassion, wisdom, and miraculous intercession.
This year, I invite you to honor the memory of a loved one or offer prayers for the intentions closest to your heart by participating in our Feast of Saint Anthony celebration. Your generous donation of $10.00 or more will not only support our mission of spreading the Gospel message but will also enable us to light a candle in honor of your loved one and/or need at the National Shrine of Saint Anthony.
The warm glow of these candles symbolizes the enduring light of faith and hope that Saint Anthony embodies. It is a touching reminder that, even in our darkest moments, we are surrounded by the comforting presence of God's love and the communion of saints.
Your prayer petitions will be presented before the altar of Saint Anthony, where they will be uplifted by the collective prayers of our Franciscan community. Whether you seek solace in times of difficulty, guidance in moments of uncertainty, or simply wish to express gratitude for blessings received, know that your intentions are held sacred and cherished.
I invite you to join us in this sacred tradition of remembrance and prayer as we unite our hearts and intentions with those of countless others around the world. Together, let us honor the legacy of Saint Anthony and embrace the power of prayer to bring healing, comfort, and peace to all who are in need.
This is a fairly late feast, going back only to the 13th or 14th century. It was established widely throughout the Church to pray for unity. The present date of celebration was set in 1969, in order to follow the Annunciation of the Lord and precede the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.
Like most feasts of Mary, it is closely connected with Jesus and his saving work. The more visible actors in the visitation drama (see Luke 1:39-45) are Mary and Elizabeth. However, Jesus and John the Baptist steal the scene in a hidden way. Jesus makes John leap with joy—the joy of messianic salvation. Elizabeth, in turn, is filled with the Holy Spirit and addresses words of praise to Mary—words that echo down through the ages.
It is helpful to recall that we do not have a journalist’s account of this meeting. Rather Luke, speaking for the Church, gives a prayerful poet’s rendition of the scene. Elizabeth’s praise of Mary as “the mother of my Lord” can be viewed as the earliest Church’s devotion to Mary. As with all authentic devotion to Mary, Elizabeth’s (the Church’s) words first praise God for what God has done to Mary. Only secondly does she praise Mary for trusting God’s words.
Then comes the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Here, Mary herself—like the Church—traces all her greatness to God.
Reflection
One of the invocations in Mary’s litany is the “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 can hope that authentic devotion will lead all to Christ and therefore, to one another.
Spend seven consecutive days letting St. Anthony of Padua be your guide to finding yourself and your way to God. Through rich content, guided prayer activities, and probing questions drawn from his preaching and the stories of his life, you will discover more about this Franciscan saint but, even more important, about your own
John realizes she is not just a tool, a means for God to become human. She is herself a feminine force in the cosmos of his visions, a complementarity whose presence will reveal itself more and more once Mary lies down with her forefathers and foremothers in death. She, like her son, will not die to die; she will die to live forever in the Trinity of Persons who chose her to bear Christ in time. She will merge with the Word and its eternal speaking. She will be God’s eternal choosing of male and female together, willed by the Father, embraced by God’s Spirit, birthing mother of the Son throughout eternity, revealing the humanity of God to humanity. She herself will appear again and again in time. In and out of eternity. She will be the new ark of the covenant, the eternal enfleshing of the Son of God.
“Read your email!” my oldest sister texted me. An urgent message from a niece alerted me that her mother was in the emergency room, diagnosed with the triple threat of pneumonia, COVID, and flu. I could do nothing from a distance, but followed an instinct to take refuge in our school’s chapel, not to kneel, but to walk the perimeter, meditating on the Stations of the Cross, a practice I had forsaken years ago.
Pray
God of today and yesterday, Help me be open to the relevance of spiritual traditions that I have sometimes carelessly neglected as I embrace a 21st-century practice of my Catholic faith. Give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a vibrant memory to connect with the richness of my centuries-old faith.
Act
During some quiet time today, travel back through memories of practices from earlier years. Are there some that might still be relevant to you that you could try again: praying the rosary, signing up for Eucharistic adoration, or committing to a novena of prayer for someone in need?
Today’s Pause+Pray was written by Elizabeth Bookser Barkley, PhD. Learn more here!
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