May
31
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 trth the King Who rules heaven and earth
forever. My heart hath uttered a good word; I speak of my works for
the King."
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
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 Virgin 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:
Canticle 2:8-14
Behold
he 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 tune 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 1:39-47
At
that time: Mary rising up went unto 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
Saviour.
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 fellow-men, 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," Or "My Soul Doth Magnify
The Lord"
In
this hymn Mary with joy praises God, the Lord, that He has regarded
her humility, aud 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 io the womb of the Virgin Mary, didst therein rest
for rune months, and with her didst condescend to visit and sanctify
Saint John, grant that we, by the practice of good works,
particularly of humility, may become partakers of the fruits of Thy
incarnation.
--Goffine's
Devout Instructions
