02 July 2008

The Feast of the Visitation - words and images from today's liturgy

My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.... There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you... Almighty God, You chose the virgin Mary to be the mother of Your Son and made known through her Your gracious regard for the poor and lowly and despised... and so be made one with Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord... A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit... Remember the wondrous works he has done... Let love be genuine... Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord... Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb... In communion with the whole Church we give You thanks for Your saints in whom You have given to us a mirror of Your mercy and grace. We praise You especially for the Blessed Virgin Mary, for Joseph her husband, for St. John the Baptist, for the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and for all Your martyrs. Grant us grace to walk before You with faith like theirs and grant us some share in their heavenly fellowship... It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for by the Holy Spirit Your only-begotten Son was conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary and brought forth in the substance of our human flesh that we might partake of His divine life...O God the Father, the fountain and source of all goodness, who in loving-kindness sent Your only-begotten Son into the flesh...

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