OnlySunshine Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 As some of you know, I am head over heels in love with St. Elizabeth of the Visitation. The whole story of the Visitation makes me joyful and weepy at the same time. I renewed my Total Marian Consecration yesterday for the 3rd time since December 8th, 2009. I wanted to do it on the Visitation last year but we ended up going to a water park since it was Memorial Day, so I didn't get to go to Mass. I was bawling like a little baby yesterday during the Gospel reading because the story touches my heart in such a profound way. The problem is that St. Elizabeth is not very well known. I can find so many items for St. Elizabeth of Hungary or St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, but trying to find Elizabeth of the Visitation is like hunting for a needle in a haystack. I can't even find an oxidized medal to wear. So, I was thrilled when I found a prayer card on Archangel Books & Gifts for 20 cents. It was PERFECT! I knew it had a prayer on the back but I couldn't see the whole prayer. I got it in the mail today and this is what it looks like: [img]http://www.archangelbooks.com/images/TJP799.jpg[/img] Unfortunately, since it was 20 cents, it was not laminated, but I promptly corrected the problem since my mom had purchased me a few self-laminating cards. But, the real surprise was on the back. It had the story of the Visitation including the first line of the Magnificat. But then it had a prayer to St. Elizabeth: [i][b]O Glorious St. Elizabeth, after many childless years of marriage, in your old age your faith in God was rewarded with the birth of a very special son -- John the Baptist. Help me, dear saint, to be patient and trust in the will of God, knowing he knows what is best for me.[/b][/i] Because of the difficult waiting period of meeting with my pastor, I had to go to Confession this past Wednesday to renew my trust and faith in God. Knowing that I have this prayer to my favorite saint is so PERFECT! I love it!!! I just had to share.
OnlySunshine Posted June 1, 2012 Author Posted June 1, 2012 Oh, and I also got a holy card of St. John the Baptist since his Nativity is coming up on June 24th and a beautiful little pin of a Monstrance with IHS on it.
she_who_is_not Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 This may sound weird but I always celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist as my cat's birthday. We have a tradition in my family of giving our pets a saint's name and then putting the saint's medal on their collar. My cat is Jean-Baptiste. Your prayer card is beautiful.
EmilyAnn Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='she_who_is_not' timestamp='1338567054' post='2439400'] This may sound weird but I always celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist as my cat's birthday. We have a tradition in my family of giving our pets a saint's name and then putting the saint's medal on their collar. My cat is Jean-Baptiste. Your prayer card is beautiful. [/quote] That is so co[color=#000080]o[/color]l!
Queen'sDaughter Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 Saint Elizabeth was happy to have an admirer, so she left that card just for you! It is kind of silly, but I always feel sorry for lesser known saints. Like they are neglected, and need someone to pray to them! "Any prayers for Saint Galla today?" "No, but another 40,000 for Saint Therese." Not fair.
OnlySunshine Posted June 1, 2012 Author Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='Queen'sDaughter' timestamp='1338569707' post='2439419'] Saint Elizabeth was happy to have an admirer, so she left that card just for you! It is kind of silly, but I always feel sorry for lesser known saints. Like they are neglected, and need someone to pray to them! "Any prayers for Saint Galla today?" "No, but another 40,000 for Saint Therese." Not fair. [/quote] Me too. My confirmation saint is also a lesser known saint and is not often celebrated in the Church although she is very important -- St. Anne, Mother of Our Lady. I chose her back in 1998 when I got confirmed and the only reason I chose her was because her feast day is celebrated on my birthday (July 26th) along with her husband, St. Joachim (also lesser known). St. Therese is so common, and, while I love her so much, I find the mysterious saints to be much more interesting. St. Elizabeth, St. Zechariah, St. Anne, and St. Joachim are so neat but I wish more was known about them. I'm praying that they are the first saints I meet in heaven since they are all Jesus' family.
Queen'sDaughter Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 That's a sweet thought. I am always in awe of the thought that in Heaven (God willing I GET there), I will meet the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Josue, The Maccabees. Gives me chills just thinking about it. I imagine them as HUGE.
OnlySunshine Posted June 1, 2012 Author Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='Queen'sDaughter' timestamp='1338570351' post='2439427'] That's a sweet thought. I am always in awe of the thought that in Heaven (God willing I GET there), I will meet the patriarchs of the Old Testament. Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Josue, The Maccabees. Gives me chills just thinking about it. I imagine them as HUGE. [/quote] I've been in Bible Study for almost 6 weeks and it lasts 36 weeks. We have been studying about the Visitation and John the Baptist in the last 2 weeks. I would love to meet John the Baptist and Elijah in heaven and I was thinking it would be so amazing to meet the Archangel Gabriel.
Spem in alium Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 That is such a beautiful prayer. I recently did an assignment on the Visitation passage and submitted it on the Feast Day =) It's one of my favourite - if not the favourite - passages in the Gospels. I love St. Elizabeth, St. Zechariah and St. John the Baptist. Their story is absolutely amazing. I like St. George Preca, St Sophia, and St. Rose of Lima (my confirmation saint). I would like to meet them, as well as the Apostles, St. Paul and Ruth from the Old Testament. At the top of my list is St. Joseph - if I met him I'd really be on cloud nine!
Strictlyinkblot Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1338569945' post='2439423'] Me too. My confirmation saint is also a lesser known saint and is not often celebrated in the Church although she is very important -- St. Anne, Mother of Our Lady. I chose her back in 1998 when I got confirmed and the only reason I chose her was because her feast day is celebrated on my birthday (July 26th) along with her husband, St. Joachim (also lesser known). St. Therese is so common, and, while I love her so much, I find the mysterious saints to be much more interesting. St. Elizabeth, St. Zechariah, St. Anne, and St. Joachim are so neat but I wish more was known about them. I'm praying that they are the first saints I meet in heaven since they are all Jesus' family. [/quote] I was also born on the Feast day of St. Anne and St. Joachim. God must have thought I'd need extra help!
OnlySunshine Posted June 1, 2012 Author Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='Strictlyinkblot' timestamp='1338578354' post='2439524'] I was also born on the Feast day of St. Anne and St. Joachim. God must have thought I'd need extra help! [/quote] Aw! We're birthday buddies! You were born 7 years before me, but it's still amazing nonetheless! I am turning 29 this year.
i<3franciscans Posted June 1, 2012 Posted June 1, 2012 [quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1338578455' post='2439525'] Aw! We're birthday buddies! You were born 7 years before me, but it's still amazing nonetheless! I am turning 29 this year. [/quote]I am born on the feast of St. Joseph, we should form some sort of spiritual family.
emmaberry Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 You guys are so lucky to have these amesome saint's feast days coinciding with your birthday! Mine is on St Stanislaus feast day, and don't get me wrong, he's razzle dazzle, but he's no Saint Anne or St Joseph!
beatitude Posted June 2, 2012 Posted June 2, 2012 The Visitation has been depicted in literally hundreds of beautiful paintings and icons, Mater. I am sure you could find a nice image, even if you just print it out from the computer.
AnneLine Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 (edited) That's a beautiful card, Mater. Blessed Ralph. Seriously. I get Blessed Ralph Corby and Bl. John Duckett on my birthday! ... OK, so he and St. Anne Line did die in the same place (Tyburn, in London), but SERIOUSLY, when so many people have so many nifty saints, I get... Bl. Ralph? oh, and St. Cloud in the diocese of St. Cloud! [url="http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/0907_duckett.asp"]http://www.holyspiritinteractive.net/kids/saints/0907_duckett.asp[/url] On the other hand, it's the vigil of our Lady's birthday, so I usually just share mine with her, and we celebrate late on the night of the 7th! Have you ever seen this beautiful statue of the Visitation? It is from the Visitation Nuns' website in Brooklyn: [url="http://brooklynvisitationmonastery.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Blessed-Mother-and-St-Elizabeth-Visitation-Statue.jpg"][img]http://brooklynvisitationmonastery.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Blessed-Mother-and-St-Elizabeth-Visitation-Statue-224x300.jpg[/img][/url] It took me a while to realize... they are creating a heart!!!! You might want to check out the website, too.... good community! [url="http://brooklynvisitationmonastery.org/"]http://brooklynvisit...nmonastery.org/[/url] Edited June 4, 2012 by AnneLine
Amy G. Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Thank you for posting this beautiful image of the Visitation! Here is a little meditation on the Visitation that I hope you'll like: A consecrated virgin who has degrees in Biblical studies from the Biblicum in Rome and the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem told me the following story about the Visitation. She said that, in ancient Israelite history, the Hebrews had special traditions and rituals associated with marriages and wedding feasts. One such traditional ritual was a dance, which was started by a member of the wedding party, who was also a relative of the groom (maybe we would call him the "best man" ). To begin the celebration, this relative of the groom would make a distinctive leap, which would signal the beginning of the traditional dance in which the bride and groom were brought together by the two families. So, John's leap in Elizabeth's womb is meant to refer to this Hebrew wedding ritual - John, a relative of Christ, senses the approaching presence of the Bridegroom and leaps for joy, thus signaling the commencement of the "dance" that will bring this Heavenly Bridegroom into union with his bride. (The woman who told me this story said that the etymology of the word that we translate as "leap" refers back to this Hebrew tradition, but I am unsure of the exact etymological connection). "Let us rejoice and exult and give glory to Him, for the wedding feast of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready..." Revelation 19:7
Amy G. Posted June 4, 2012 Posted June 4, 2012 Thank you for posting this beautiful image of the Visitation! Here is a little meditation on the Visitation that I hope you'll like: A consecrated virgin who has degrees in Biblical studies from the Biblicum in Rome and the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem told me the following story about the Visitation. She said that, in ancient Israelite history, the Hebrews had special traditions and rituals associated with marriages and wedding feasts. One such traditional ritual was a dance, which was started by a member of the wedding party, who was also a relative of the groom (maybe we would call him the "best man" ). To begin the celebration, this relative of the groom would make a distinctive leap, which would signal the beginning of the traditional dance in which the bride and groom were brought together by the two families. So, John's leap in Elizabeth's womb is meant to refer to this Hebrew wedding ritual - John, a relative of Christ, senses the approaching presence of the Bridegroom and leaps for joy, thus signaling the commencement of the "dance" that will bring this Heavenly Bridegroom into union with his bride. (The woman who told me this story said that the etymology of the word that we translate as "leap" refers back to this Hebrew tradition, but I am unsure of the exact etymological connection). "Let us rejoice and exult and give glory to Him, for the wedding feast of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready..." Revelation 19:7
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