Her First Visitation

 

Michiel Coxie "Annunciation"

As we know, it's almost the Feast of Pentecost, when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples.

As we also know, Pentecost was not the first time our Blessed Mother received a Visitation from God.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God."  (Luke 1:35)

Immediately upon saying these words to Mary, the angel added:  "Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age.."  (Luke 1:36)  Mary then went in haste to Elizabeth, an event we will be celebrating on May 31st. 

I tend to think of these things (the Annunciation, the Visitation, Pentecost) together, because I like to meditate upon their connections. 

After all, there would have been no Pentecost if there had been no Incarnation.  

There would have been no visitation of Mary to Elizabeth if there had been no Annunciation. 

Without God's Visitation to Mary and her total yes to Him, we would have had no Savior, no Cross, no Resurrection, no gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, no Church. 

I pray that we will be graced to open our hearts more fully to the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will seek His Visitation upon our souls, that we will visit Him in praise and adoration, that we will carry Him tenderly to those around us. 

As we prepare for the glorious Feast of Pentecost, may we be open to His love, His holiness, His cleansing, and His grace. 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)

This is an edited repost from the archives of May 25, 2012.      

Revisiting Rose

The following from our friend Rose remains our most popular post of all time:

'I had this idea that prayer, holiness, and the spiritual life were for the religious vocation and hidden behind high, thick brick walls. I longed to find a crack in that wall so I could have just a tiny taste of the spiritual life I once knew.  

'Then the Holy Spirit brought the Cloistered Heart to me.  The Cloistered Heart allowed me to squeeze through a tiny crack in that big brick wall. 

'I long for the fullness of all of God's promises for those who love Him to the heights. And if that sounds presumptive, then so be it, because I know that it is meant for us all. Not just the Religious or the saints, but for all......"(Rose)

Rose was once a novice in a religious order and discerned that such was not her vocation. She went on to marry and have a large family.  

This is a repost from our archives. It is linked to Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb for 'It's Worth Revisiting Wednesday.'  

O God, Forgotten By Many

"I fear there are few souls who constantly remember the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Far too few, indeed! 

Here and there, a great saint; now and again, some simple, loving, obscure disciple. But by the many, He is neglected and forgotten...

But the consciousness of that Divine Presence in the soul, the gracious influence of the Indwelling Spirit, make those who remember grow steadily more and more like You. In their lives, one sees ordinary men and women reflecting the sublime beauty, and the splendid wisdom, and the perfect holiness, which belong to God Himself. 

O God! forgotten by so many, I will strive to remember You....

What a long series of claims You have upon my loyalty, You, Who made me! Who redeemed me! Who saved me not once, but repeatedly, from the fatal consequences of my own foolish and wicked conduct....

Help me, dear Lord, to find a lasting source of joy in the thought of Your Presence within me! 

Help me to keep the eyes of my soul opened, and the ears of my soul unstopped, so that, from morning until night, I may be always on the alert to please You by doing Your Will. May I always say, like little Samuel, 'Speak, Lord! Thy servant heareth.'"

(from The Living Pyx of Jesus by A Religious, Pelligrini, 1941, pp. 203-204

Painting: Herbert James Draper, The Golden Rays

When I Grow Weary With Trifles

'I know that as frequently as possible 
I should recall 
the Indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
I cannot think of Him too often.

From my awakening in the morning 
until I fall asleep at night, 
here He is within me always,
closer than breathing, 
at the very centre of my soul.

Here He is while I am doing my daily work,
and struggling under my burdens;
He is here when I grow weary
with the drudgery, 
with the monotony,
with the emptiness of the trifles 
which fill day after day of my life...

He is here when I am disappointed and cross,
impatient and obstinate,
willful and unreasonable and hard to please...

He is here when I show myself 
eager for notice, 
hungry for praise, 
when I excuse my meanness
by alleging a noble motive.
When I exaggerate, or boast, 
at all such times
He, the Holy Ghost, is here,
just as truly 
as if Christ Himself were visibly present,
and I could touch His garment,
grasp His hand,
embrace Him lovingly.

It is only those who are willfully blind 
Who cannot see Him...'

from 'Listening to the Indwelling Presence' by a Religious, Pelligrini, 1940, pp. 53-55
  
 
Paintings by Petrus Van Schendel

The Reward

Till in the Midst of Crowds

"Dear loving God, remind me to turn inward to You hundreds of times today,
and speak lovingly to You.
Let Your Holy Spirit take complete possession of me until,
in the midst of crowds or in the stress of work...
I live alone with You, my loving God,
my inseparable Guide, my Guest divine.
Live Your own life within me,
and think, speak and act through me,
so that St. Paul's words may be true of me:
'I live now, not I, but Christ liveth in me.' (Galatians 2:20) "

(from Listening to the Indwelling Presence,  compiled by a Religious, Pellegrini, 1940, pp. 182-183)

Breakthrough!

The painting on this post is extra large.  When viewed on the web version of the blog, it breaks across boundaries, crosses neat edges of the sidebar, and has this site bursting at the seams.

At first, I was going to make the image smaller.  Then I realized:  this is a picture of Pentecost, and a painting bursting through the boundaries may actually have something to show us. 

The Holy Spirit of God burst into our world on Pentecost.  Not with a gentle whisper - not this time.  He came suddenly, with noise like a strong, driving wind. Tongues as of fire appeared and came to rest on each person.  As we are told in Acts 2, all were filled with the Holy Spirit, expressing themselves in foreign tongues and making bold proclamation.  There was so much noise that it drew quite a crowd.  The onlookers were "confused," "amazed," "astonished," "dumbfounded."  Peter, who had once denied Jesus out of fear, stood up and proclaimed boldly what the Spirit was doing.

The events of that day certainly did not fit into neat, tidy categories.  Suddenly, the world the apostles had known was bursting at the seams. 

The shaken onlookers had never seen anything like this.  "What are we to do?" they asked.  Peter, now emboldened, had an answer.  "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was to you and your children that the promise was made, and to all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls."  (Acts 2:37-39) 

"To all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls." 

This promise is for us!  We are far from that day (as we measure time), but we have been called.  We are promised the forgiveness of sins.  We are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are, in effect, promised a breakthrough.  If we let Him, the Holy Spirit of God can tear down anything and everything that walls us off from receiving the absolute fullness of His grace.

"Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful.  Enkindle in them the fire of your divine love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth." 

This is a repost from our archives. Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman. 
thecloisteredheart.org      

(Pentecost painting by Jean Restout)

Come, Holy Spirit

Every Place, Your Place

'O Holy Spirit, let me never forget Your Presence; never fail to remember Your goodness!
 
Since in every place I am reminded of You, in every place will I worship You. Since You are present every moment, in every moment I will remember You.

For every place is Your place, and every moment Your moment. The whole earth is Your temple. All time is Yours. And my song of thanksgiving, my hymn of praise, my act of adoration is always called for. Here and there and everywhere, always and ever, You are my God. And I am ever and always Your child.' 

(The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini, 1941, p. 150)

Whose Temple?

Before the Great and Glorious Day

"When the day of Pentecost came, it found them gathered in one place. Suddenly from up in the sky there came a noise like a strong, driving wind which was heard all through the house where they were seated. Tongues as of fire appeared, which parted and came to rest on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.... Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them...

'It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out a portion of My Spirit on all mankind: your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Yes, even on My servants and handmaids I will pour out a portion of My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of that great and glorious day of the Lord. Then shall everyone be saved who calls on the Name of the Lord.'"

                         Acts 2:1-4 and 2:14-21


Painting of Pentecost: Botticelli
Painting of Eclipse: Howard Russell Butler, in US public domain due to age

A Personal Relationship with Christ?

When we are talking about monastic life, the importance of Our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be overstated.  With this in mind, I've been planning a post (using quotes from various saints) on the fact that we can know and love Jesus personally. 

"The monk is the man for whom God is a Person," writes Louis Bouyer; "a Person whom he can meet, whom he longs to meet...."  (The Meaning of the Monastic Life, PJ Kenedy, 1950)

I love it when the Holy Spirit inspires more than one individual, at the same time, to do the very same thing.  He was at work in the same way, at the same time, in the heart of Renee Lin.  

As she put it so well in one of her comments, it was just a matter of calling the right witnesses. Which she has done, indeed.

Can Catholics have a personal relationship with Christ?  

I invite you to click over to Renee's blog Forget the Roads, to see what the witnesses have to say.

Painting:  San Luigi Gonzaga, Love for the Word

Enlighten the Dark Corners

'O Holy Spirit, Love of God, infuse Your grace! 

Plentifully descend into my heart.

Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling.

Dwell in that soul that longs to be Your temple. 

Water that barren soil, overrun with weeds and briars

and lost to fruitfulness for want of cultivating. 

Make it fruitful with Your gracious beams,

Your dew from heaven..

Come, Holy Spirit, in much mercy! 

Make me fit to receive You.' 

St. Augustine

click here to leave comments in the Parlor  

Benedito Calixto painting, cropped

The Breakthrough!

The painting on this post is one I used last Pentecost.  I love posting it in large size.  I love the truth it underlines as it breaks through the margin, spills into the background, and causes this blog to burst at the seams.  I can think of nothing more appropriate for today's Feast. 

The Holy Spirit of God burst into our world on Pentecost.  Not in a gentle whisper, we're told in Acts 2, but with noise like a strong, driving wind. Tongues as of fire appeared and came to rest on each person.  All were filled with the Holy Spirit, expressing themselves in foreign tongues and making bold proclamation.  There was so much noise that it drew quite a crowd.  The onlookers were "confused," "amazed," "astonished," "dumbfounded."  Peter, who had once denied Jesus out of fear, stood up and proclaimed boldly what the Spirit was doing.

The events of that day certainly did not fit into neat, tidy categories.  Suddenly, the world the apostles had known was bursting at the seams. 

The shaken onlookers had never seen anything like this.  "What are we to do?" they asked.  Peter, now emboldened, had an answer.  "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was to you and your children that the promise was made, and to all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls."  (Acts 2:37-39) 

"To all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls." 

This promise is for us!  We are far from that day (as we measure time), but we have been called.  We are promised the forgiveness of sins.  We are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are, in effect, promised a breakthrough.  If we let Him, the Holy Spirit of God can tear down anything and everything that walls us off from receiving the absolute fullness of His grace.

"Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful!  Enkindle in them the fire of your divine love!  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth!"   

This material is taken from last year's Pentecost post.  Text not in quotes © 2013 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved. thecloisteredheart.org      

(Pentecost painting by Jean Restout)

A new comments screen has just opened in the Parlor.  Click here to visit!  A link there will lead you right back here. 

This Post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz   

In Prayer, They Waited

"On one occasion when (Jesus) met with them, He told them not to leave Jerusalem.  'Wait, rather, for the fulfillment of My Father's promise, of which you have heard Me speak.  John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 1:4-5)




Click here to leave comments in the Parlor

Visited, we can visit

 

Today is the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord.  As we know, this feast commemorates Jesus’ return to his Father in heaven.  As we also know, this means that Pentecost is right around the liturgical corner.  

 

And as some who have been reading here for awhile may recall, the Annunciation, the visitation, and Pentecost are linked together in this blogger's mind.  

 

When the apostles were gathered in the Upper Room awaiting the promised Holy Spirit, our Blessed Mother was with them.  Together, all devoted themselves to prayer.  Together, all waited.

 

Pentecost was not the first time our Blessed Mother would receive a Visitation from God.  Surely during her time in the Upper Room, the Mother of Jesus thought back through scenes from His earthly life, and probably her mind recalled that glorious day when an angel had appeared to her. 

 

I think of the Annunciation as the "big V" that led to the "little v."  God directly pierced through human history, like an arrow parting the waters of sin, darkness, and death. 

 

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God."  (Luke 1:35)

Immediately upon saying these words to Mary, the angel added:  "Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age.."  (Luke 1:36)  Mary then went in haste to Elizabeth, making a visitation because both had been Visited (one in a totally unique way, of course) by God.  

 

There would have been no visit of Mary to Elizabeth if there had been no Visit to Mary by the angel. 

There would have been no Pentecost if there had been no Incarnation.  

Without God's Visitation to Mary and her total yes to Him, we would have had no Savior, no Cross, no Resurrection, no Ascension of Jesus, no gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, no Church. 

 

With this in mind, I pray that we will be graced to open our hearts more fully to receiving Visitations from the Holy Spirit.  I pray that we will visit Him in return, in praise and adoration.  Only then will we be empowered to visit those around us in witness, in works of mercy, and through prayer. 

 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)

Text not in quotes © 2013 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

Click here to leave comments in the Parlor
This Post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Linkup Blitz  
 

Enlighten the Dark Corners

"O Holy Spirit... descend into my heart!
Enlighten the dark corners 
of this neglected dwelling.
Dwell in that soul
that longs to be Your temple!
Water that barren soil,
overrun with weeds and briars 
and lost to fruitfulness
for want of cultivating.
Make it fruitful 
with Your gracious beams,
Your dew from heaven. 
O come, Refreshment of those
who languish and faint;
You only Haven
of the tossed and the shipwrecked!
Come, Holy Spirit, in much mercy!
Make me fit to receive you."
                                                           (St. Augustine)

Breakthrough

The painting on this post is extra large.  It breaks across boundaries, crosses neat edges of the sidebar, and in effect has this blog bursting at the seams.

At first, I was going to make the image smaller.  Then I realized:  this is a picture of Pentecost, and a painting bursting through the boundaries may actually have something to show us. 

The Holy Spirit of God burst into our world on Pentecost.  Not with a gentle whisper - not this time.  He came suddenly, with noise like a strong, driving wind. Tongues as of fire appeared and came to rest on each person.  As we are told in Acts 2, all were filled with the Holy Spirit, expressing themselves in foreign tongues and making bold proclamation.  There was so much noise that it drew quite a crowd.  The onlookers were "confused," "amazed," "astonished," "dumbfounded."  Peter, who had once denied Jesus out of fear, stood up and proclaimed boldly what the Spirit was doing.

The events of that day certainly did not fit into neat, tidy categories.  Suddenly, the world the apostles had known was bursting at the seams. 

The shaken onlookers had never seen anything like this.  "What are we to do?" they asked.  Peter, now emboldened, had an answer.  "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  It was to you and your children that the promise was made, and to all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls."  (Acts 2:37-39) 

"To all those still far off whom the Lord our God calls." 

This promise is for us!  We are far from that day (as we measure time), but we have been called.  We are promised the forgiveness of sins.  We are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are, in effect, promised a breakthrough.  If we let Him, the Holy Spirit of God can tear down anything and everything that walls us off from receiving the absolute fullness of His grace.

"Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of Your faithful.  Enkindle in them the fire of your divine love.  Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth." 

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org      

(Pentecost painting by Jean Restout)

Her First Visitation

Michiel Coxie "Annunciation"

As we know, it's almost the Feast of Pentecost, when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples.

As we also know, Pentecost was not the first time our Blessed Mother received a Visitation from God.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; hence, the holy Offspring to be born will be called Son of God."  (Luke 1:35)

Immediately upon saying these words to Mary, the angel added:  "Know that Elizabeth your kinswoman has conceived a son in her old age.."  (Luke 1:36)  Mary then went in haste to Elizabeth, an event we will be celebrating on May 31st. 

I tend to think of these things (the Annunciation, the Visitation, Pentecost) together, because I like to meditate upon their connections. 

After all, there would have been no Pentecost if there had been no Incarnation.  

There would have been no visitation of Mary to Elizabeth if there had been no Annunciation. 

Without God's Visitation to Mary and her total yes to Him, we would have had no Savior, no Cross, no Resurrection, no gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, no Church. 

Over the next few days, I hope to look more (here) into these sacred connections.  I also hope to consider how we, ourselves, are visited by God, and how we can visit others with His Presence.  After all, in order to visit others with the Spirit of God, we must first BE Visited by Him.  

With this in mind, I pray that we will be graced to open our hearts more fully to the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will seek His Visitation upon our souls, that we will visit Him in praise and adoration, that we will carry Him tenderly to those around us. 

As we prepare for the glorious Feast of Pentecost, may we be open to His love, His holiness, His cleansing, and His grace. 

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you; then you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth."  (Acts 1:8)

Text not in quotes © 2012 Nancy Shuman.  All Rights Reserved.
thecloisteredheart.org