CAPG's Blog 



The Visitation by Gerónimo Antonio de Ezquerra  (1660–1733)

"THE Blessed Virgin Mary visits St. Elizabeth, and St. John is sanctified in his mother's womb. This is the first communication of the spirit of the Word incarnate; and Jesus on this day begins to give grace and joy to souls. Open your heart to Jesus, and pray that you may partake of His grace. Leave not your prayers, till you have reason to hope that this happy effect is wrought in you. Mary no sooner spoke, but Elizabeth was filled with grace. Beg now of Mary to speak in your behalf. By her charity, she co-operates to the spiritual birth of St. John; and may not she now by the same charity co-operate to yours? Fear not to join with St. Elizabeth, and proclaim her blessed among women, and that blessed is the fruit of her womb. Profess the Incarnation of the Son of God, and that she is truly the Mother of our Lord.

Learn what your visits ought to be. As far as they are necessary to maintain charity, and keep up a good correspondence with your neighbours and friends, they are not to be censured. Nay, there may be so much trouble and mortification in making them, that if submitted to as necessary for the support of charity, they may be of great advantage to your soul. Visit then, as far as charity requires; and fail not to be punctual in visits, where you have any prospect of doing good, by bringing comfort, relief, or light. One word of a saint sometimes fills others with light and grace. Contribute what you can, in all your visits, to the good of others. Frequent opportunities are offered of defending the innocent, of doing right to justice and truth, and moderating something of that bitterness and prejudice, with which you see the minds of others unduly possessed. By such moderation, charity, and humility, your visits, like this of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be sanctified, But if the true ground of your frequent visiting be to gratify any vain, idle, or unsettled humour; and if in your discourses you ever flatter company, by concurring with them in every subject that is brought up, you are in the way of contracting so manifold guilt, in the breach of all charity, that without any other crimes you are in danger of excluding from your soul the visits of the Divine Spirit, and of never being admitted into the company of the blessed. Pray for grace, for a prudent management of this affair; and that you may never forfeit your title to heaven, by indiscreet compliances with modes and humours. Be therefore on your guard, and beseech God to accompany you in all your visits. His protection is necessary in time of danger, and especially in the occasion of sin; and such, it is to be feared, are most of your visits." The Catholic Year by Fr. John Gother

“I will praise the Name of God with a canticle, and I will magnify Him praise” Ps. Lxviii. 31 “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” St. Luke i. 46

1. My Soul doth magnify the Lord. In this Canticle (says St. Bonaventure) three things are to be observed; first, the affection of Her who praises; secondly, the reason of Her praise; thirdly, the enlargement of the Divine praise; for no praise is perfect unless it be accompanied by a due affection and reason, and performed in due method… The Blessed Virgin listened to the praise which St. Elizabeth bestowed on Her, and immediately referred all the praise to God. When Elizabeth told Her that her son rejoiced in her womb with joy at the voice of Her salutation, Mary replied that Her spirit rejoiced in God. “Thou magnifiest the Mother of thy Lord, by my soul doth magnify the Lord. Thy son exulteth at my voice, but my spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior.” Thus does St. Bernard explain Her words. Or (according to St. Athanasius) “the greater is the miracle of Divine goodness of which I am the instrument, the more am I constrained to glorify Him Who works wonders in me.” Now, let us enter into ourselves, and consider what the Priesthood is which God has conferred upon us. Is it not a great miracle of Divine omnipotence by reason of its divine dignity, and because of the means with which it furnishes us for exercising it aright? Do not we work miracles at the Altar, in the Confessional, in administering the other Sacraments? What, then, is the affection with which we “magnify the Lord,” and “rejoice in Him?” St. Basil says that, in Holy Scripture, by this term is signified the lively, joyful, affection of a soul which is rightly disposed! Oh that in each one of us had Mary’s spirit to rejoice in God! And yet how few are the Priests who thank God with sincere affection for their vocation! Might they not at least take pattern by the gratitude of Nebuchadnezzar, and say, “I praise and magnify and glorify the King of Heaven!” (Daniel 4, 34).

2. Because “He hath regarded the humility of His hand maid". Here (says St. Bonaventure) Mary adds the reason of Her praise. The Blessed Virgin shows forth the beneficence of grace, which had made Her amiable before God. And worthy of the praises of men; and She shows forth also the great and merciful miracle of His power which He had worked in Her (says the same St. Bonaventure). We, too, ought to acknowledge that stream of grace by which Almighty God has united us to Himself, and caused us to be called blessed by the Faithful; we, too ought to acknowledge that truly great and merciful miracle by which “ God hath chosen the weak and base things of the world to confound the strong” (1 Cor. 1. 27,28); and this should be our reason for praising God, Who hath “looked upon us for good, and hath lifted us up from our low estate” (Eccl. 11. 13). What merit had we that we should be preferred before so many millions of men? The whole reason of this act consists in the power of the doer (says St. Augustin). Who, among men, can ask of God why He should have preferred us before them? For He will do all that pleaseth Him, and His word is full of power; neither can any man say to Him, “Why dost thou so?” (Eccl. 8. 3,4) Let us speak continually the words of Azarias: “Blessed is the Holy Name of Thy glory” (Dan. 3. 52).

3. And His mercy is from generation unto generations. The third part of the Canticle enlarges the Divine praises, by celebrating God’s mercy, His power, His liberality, and the truth of His promises (as St. Bonaventure points out). Are not we Priests bound to praise the mercy of the Lord,, Who by His special providence has freed us from innumerable dangers of soul and body, in order to lead us to the Altar, and to make us what we are – so that each one of us might say with the Apostle, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace in me hath not been void… yet not I, but the grace of God with me?” (1 Cor. 15. 10) We also have experienced God’s power, Who “hath showed might in His arm;” “Who hath raised up the needy from the dust, and lifted up the poor from the dunghill; that he might sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory?” (I Kings 2. 6) Again, ought we not to praise God’s liberality in that He hath “poured forth upon us abundantly” the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3.6.), and thus “hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich He hath sent empty away?” Lastly, the truth of the Divine promises was magnified by the Blessed Virgin in these words – “As He spoke, ect.;” and ought not we, too, to call to mind the innumerable promises, made by Almighty God in Holy Scripture, that He would “raise up among His people a faithful priest, who should do according to His heart” (1 Kings 2. 35), and give to His flocks “pastors according to His own heart: (Jer. 3. 15); “to fill the soul of the Priests with fatness” (31.14); and “to give glory, joy, and power to the Priests of the new covenant?” (Is. 56. 4) Therefore, let us bless the Lord, and in the daily recital of this magnificent Canticle, let us join ourselves in spirit with Mary in blessing Him, praying to Her to offer Him our benedictions in such wise as to obtain for us a blessing which shall enrich us with all “good things.” Source: Meditations for the use of the clergy : for every day in the year. On the Gospels for the Sundays, Volume 3 1872. (by Scotti, Angelo Antonio; Oblates of Saint Charles)