THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - 2023

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed
that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled. LK 1:45

ZEPHANIAH 3:14-18 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Mary, the daughter of Zion, having understood that of all the women of Israel, she was the one chosen by God to bear in her virginal womb the Son of God, said, 'Yes'. At her conception she was redeemed by the Son she would conceive in her womb, her Savior and the Savior of the world, for with God nothing is impossible. 

Mary's whole life was one uninterrupted 'yes' to the will of God. Her total surrender to God's plan for our redemption would result in her heart being pierced not once but often because her Son and the Son of God who received His flesh and blood from her was born to die for the salvation of the world. 

Her song of exultation at the Magnificat was inspired by the Holy Spirit and by the songs of all the holy women in the Old Testament who conceived and gave birth to sons with a great mission. But her Son as the Messiah was to carry out the greatest mission of all time.  

Because Mary said yes, even without understanding fully what that yes entailed, the Son of God entered time and space. The Son of God lived among us. The Invisible God was made visible for a while becoming like us in all things save sin.

This is why we have hope even though we are crushed on all sides by the evil that seems to have its hour in our demonic culture right now. But You, O Lord, have won the day, You have won eternally for the Father every human soul wrested from the very jaws of death. 

Today, we exult with Mary, with Elizabeth as we leap with joy as John the Baptist leaped in his mother's womb when through the power of the Holy Spirit he encountered the Living God in the womb of Mary, Your Mother and ours. 

Grant us this grace, Beloved, that we will not lose heart, we will not become discouraged or anxious or sad because we have placed all our hope in You and this hope cannot and will not disappoint.

The Lord your God is in your midst,

a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM - ISAIAH 12 ©

My Soul's Beloved,

Grant me a greater faith O Lord. I have no reason at all to become downcast and yet

I do and I am sorry. Forgive me. What have I to fear, my Lord, when You have claimed me eternally to be Your possession.

I am a member of Your Body, the Church. I am redeemed and sanctified and a glorious inheritance awaits me. Through the Sacraments instituted by You and administered by the successors of Peter and the Apostles who share the fullness of Your High Priestly ministry, I am made a child of God. I feed on the Flesh and Blood of the Son of God and receive divine life. When I sin gravely, hope is not lost, even though I cut myself off from the Vine You make it possible in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be forgiven completely and united once again in Your Body.

Thank You for Your abiding Presence in us through the Holy Spirit and for Your Presence in all the tabernacles in the world. You keep Your Word - You have not left us, orphans You are here, You are God with us, Emmanuel, and only because Mary said 'YES'.

Grant O Lord that we may always be grateful to her for her fiat and always grateful to You for giving us Your Mother to be our Mother as well.