The Feast of the Visitation

Happy Feast of the Visitation Everyone!!! (Luke 1:39-56) Rejoice! Rejoice!

The Feast of the Visitation commemorates the visit between Mary and Elizabeth as recorded in Luke 1:39-56 which is celebrated in the Catholic Church on May 31.

Mary, pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist meet in Hebron, south of Jerusalem, immediately after the Annunciation. The cousins met so that Christ, still a fetus at the time, would bring divine grace to both Elizabeth and her unborn child. Sensing Christ's divine presence, John leapt for joy as he was cleansed from original sin and filled with divine grace. (Luke 1:44) This leads Elizabeth to also recognize His presence and responds in a loud voice praising God:

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke 1:42)

It is from this speech that we get one of the Church's most iconic prayers, the Hail Mary.

At this point, Mary responds with another speech which has become a very important Christian prayer which is used in the Liturgy of the Hours' Evening Prayers, the Magnificat:

My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
He looks on His servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.
The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy His name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear Him.
He puts forth His arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.
He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, His servant,
remembering His mercy,
the mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever. (Luke 1:46–55)

It was at this meeting that Mary exercised her function as Mediatrix between God and man for the first time

This feast is of medieval origin and started by the Franciscans even before St. Bonaventure recommended it and the Franciscan chapter adopted it in A.D. 1263. In 1389, Pope Urban VI, hoping to end the Great Western Schism, inserted it in the Roman Calendar thus giving it to the Universal Church.

Distribution of Bread for St Anthony Day

Holy Family's Secular Franciscan Community will be distributing blessed bread at both morning Masses on St Anthony of Padua's feast day, Monday, June 13th.

Fr. Casper Furnari, the community's spiritual director, will officiate at both Masses that day.

St Anthony Bread

The devotion to St. Anthony known as St. Anthony's Bread goes back to the 13th century. It has been a source of many miracles, favors and graces and has, of course, been of great help to the poor and the needy.

According to legend, a child of Padua fell into a barrel of water and drowned. In her grief the mother called on St. Anthony for help, and promised she would donate the child's weight in grain for the poor if she were restored to life.

While the mother was still praying, the child arose as if from sleep. This miracle gave rise to the practice of giving alms to the poor as a petition for favors received through St. Anthony's intercession.

Another miracle is associated with St Anthony Bread becuase of a girl named Louise Bouffier at Toulon in France in the 19th century. She promised loaves of bread for the poor in exchange for St. Anthony's help. Her shop soon later became a center of devotion to the Saint; the alms of those whose favors were heard were given to the numerous poor families of the city.

Franciscans have perpetuated this custom for many years. It is a laudable sacrifice to Christ and thanksgiving to St. Anthony.

Liturgy of the Hours Link

Click here to read the Divine Office prayer for today.

Our May 26th Meeting

To day was our first "official" formal meeting as a community since our reception ceremony on April 28.

We discussed the importance of the Liturgy of Hours (also known as the Divine Office,) the prayer of the Church, in the life of a Secular Franciscan. As some of our community were unfamiliar with the prayers, we discussed the structure of the prayer as well as the books necessary to recite them.

For those interested in praying the Divine Office via the Net, go to this site: http://universalis.com

We also decided that all future meeting will commence at 7:00 PM instead of 7:30 as had been the norm.

We also started planning for our parish's St Anthony Feast Day celebration. After both Masses on June 13th, our community will hand out blessed bread, as is the custom for St Anthony day. Plans are still being discussed for an additional Italian Mass in the afternoon to accommodate parishioners interested in attending Mass in the evening.

Our Community

This is a photo of the Holy Family Secular Franciscan Fraternity taken after our April ceremony.

It was taken in our parish church in Fresh Meadows. Fr. Casper Furnari, our spiritual director, is sitting in the front row.

Our Lady of China's Feast Day - The Church in China

Today is Our Lady of China's Feast Day

Please pray for the Christians in China. There are two Catholic Churches in that country. One is controlled by the communist government and is not in union with Rome while the other is underground and persecuted.

Please keep all of the people of China in your prayers, especially the many ethnic minorities including the Tibetans, Mongolians and Uiyghers. Pray that they may learn of Christ's love and be converted to Him.

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