Catholic Fire

Visitation Mariotto Albertinelli 1503 - Oil on wood, 232 x 146 cm Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has m...

John Michael Talbot Live in Concert performing one of his best-known songs, "Holy is His Name".

Gospel Luke 1:46 - 56 Throughout her whole life Mary lived in an attitude of gratefulness and thanksgiving. Her Magnificat burst forth in the presence of Elizabeth, but it was ever present in her soul. Mary lived in such poverty that she always recognized God's free gift of love for her. If we were poorer, if we had a greater sense of our littleness, of our poverty, and if we recognized that everything is free, that the Lord has given everything to us, then we would more often be in an attitude of gratefulness. We would always look at Jesus, thanking Him for being there, for loving us, and for gathering us into His love. We should always be thanking Jesus, thanking Mary for protecting us and for keeping us faithful to responding to His love. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us this attitude of thanksgiving with Mary, our Mother, so that with her, we can always sing our Magnificat. ~ ~ From the Daily Gospel with Fr. Philippe, OP (Priest, Philosophy Professor, Founder of t...