10 Catholic Things that Caught My Eye on Visitation Day

1.

I join spiritually all those taking part in special devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary on this last day of the month of May.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) May 31, 2016

2. Beautiful photos and reflections from New York’s priest ordinations this past weekend.

3.

Visitation of Our Lady to St Elizabeth: the Redeemer comes to Israel and its greatest prophet,… https://t.co/E8noJSNUPJ

— Fr Lawrence Lew OP (@LawrenceOP) May 31, 2016

4. Fr. Steve Grunow:

Christ the Lord does not come merely to affirm us as we are or to provide divine sanction for our causes and ideologies. He comes for transformation. He comes to change us.

5. Five points on the Visitation

6.

The Visitation is a potent antidote to the culture of death. The first to recognize Christ is the unborn John the Baptist. #HomilyTweet

— Fr James Bradley (@FrJamesBradley) May 31, 2016

7. From Saint Bede the Venerable in the Liturgy of the Hours today:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior. With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given. Then she recalls God’s universal favors, bestowed unceasingly on the human race.

When a man devotes all his thoughts to the praise and service of the Lord, he proclaims God’s greatness. His observance of God’s commands, moreover, shows that he has God’s power and greatness always at heart. His spirit rejoices in God his savior and delights in the mere recollection of his creator who gives him hope for eternal salvation.

These words are often for all God’s creations, but especially for the Mother of God. She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her savior, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.

For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him.

She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This is the name she spoke of earlier: and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

Therefore it is an excellent and fruitful custom of holy Church that we should sing Mary’s hymn at the time of evening prayer. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue. Such virtues are best achieved in the evening. We are weary after the day’s work and worn out by our distractions. The time for rest is near, and our minds are ready for contemplation.

8.

'Non nisi te, Domine. Non nisi te.’

Nothing but you, Lord. Nothing but you.”

– St. Thomas Aquinas

— Ryan Ayala (@smk_ryan) May 31, 2016

9. Pope Francis talked about the joy of yes and courageous women today.

10.

The battle still wages; the win always belongs to God, simply focus on Him.

Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us. pic.twitter.com/TnubWwTDs8

— Diocesan Priest (@diocesanpriest) May 31, 2016