|
Spring Edition
|
Volume 3 Issue 15
|
|
"It was a great delight for me to consider my soul as a garden and reflect that the Lord was taking His walk in it." St. Teresa of Avila.
Happy Spring! Here in Florida, it is Spring, but for some chapters, Spring might be a few weeks off. When we get together in Washington, D.C. next month, it will be like a perennial Spring, because we will all be together once again! We are preparing our Magnificat garden by beginning our annual Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Whatever way you choose, the St. Louis de Montfort Consecration or the new "33 Days to Morning Glory" version, we can say that we will all be praying together. Begin the Consecration on March 24th! Consecration to Jesus through Mary is the true way of attaining holiness of life and isn't that what Magnificat is all about?
Blessings,
Kathy MacInnis, Coordinator
Central Service Team
Just a Reminder ... a "Printer Friendly" version of this Newsletter is available!
Most printers have three print options: color, grayscale or black and white. Click here
|
|
For more Conference 2015 information including schedules, costs, registration, and frequently asked questions (FAQ),
All registrations and final payments need to be sent to Canterbury Tours by March 25th.
How do you know if you are registered?
When you registered on-line for the Conference, you should have received an email confirmation. If you did not or don't remember, please contact Canterbury Tours to confirm that you are registered!
Will I receive anything prior to the Conference? YES - Canterbury Tours will be sending all those who are registered an information packet in the mail. It should arrive the first week in April. If you are registered and do not get a packet by April 8th, contact Canterbury Tours.
|
|
|
Holy Father's Monthly Intentions
March
Universal - Scientists.
That those involved in scientific research may serve the well-being of the whole human person.
Evangelization - Contribution of Women. That the unique contribution of women to the life of the Church may be recognized always.
April
Universal : Creation.
That people may learn to respect creation and care for it as a gift of God.
Evangelization - Persecuted Christians.
That persecuted Christians may feel the consoling presence of the Risen Lord and the solidarity of all the Church.
May
Universal - Care for the Suffering.
That, rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbors who suffer, especially the sick and the poor.
Evangelization - Openness to Mission:
That Mary's intercession may help Christians in secularized cultures to be open to proclaiming Jesus.
top
|
"Proclamation of the Kingdom"
Conference 2015
By Paulette Renaudin, CST Member
As we are winding down to the final weeks before the Magnificat Ministry arrives on the Washington, D.C. area to "Proclaim His Marvelous Deeds to all the World" the excitement is building everywhere.
We still have some capacity left, so people can continue to sign up until March 25, when the final payment is due. We have so many people registered that we never dreamed would be able to attend. It seems like the Holy Spirit is orchestrating a symphony! You will be inspired by the impact of Magnificat on women who started with one breakfast and now ministering internationally.
Living Praise Worship Team, once again, has prepared praise and worship music from around the world with new sights and sounds.
Our candlelight procession into the Crypt Church of the National Basilica will be memorable. There, we will recite our Consecration to the Blessed Mother. Remember, a plenary indulgence is available (under normal conditions) to us visiting the Basilica.
You will come away from our Workshops with new tools to help your individual chapters operate smoothly and effectively. Our Saturday night evening highlight meal will feature our Indio, CA Chapter's founders, Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena. They are also the founders of Galilee Center and outreach serving the needs of the Coachella Valley. Sacred sisterhood is a gift from God and you will enjoy connecting with sisters and friends from around your region and from around the world.
The St. John Paul II Shrine is usually closed on Sunday by they are opening it just for us. On rare occasions they expose the relics of St. John Paul II for veneration. We have been told the relics will be available that morning! These are just some of the exciting events of our Conference and we are very thrilled to "see you there." We are praying with this late cold weather the famous cherry blossoms will be in full bloom for your enjoyment.
Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name forever!" Psalm 34:3
|
Lent: Walking With Mary: 10 Little Steps
By Kathleen Beckman
CST Advisory Team Member
In the wee hours of the morning, shivering from the cold, damp interior of the darkened Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, I lingered in prayer at the rock of Calvary. Resting my hand on the cold rock where the noble cross of Jesus Christ stood upright on the first Good Friday, I prayed. Oh, how I poured my heart out! I was in a spiritual place of desolation when I arrived on retreat in the Holy Land having just gone through a big upheaval in my life. Doors closed, paths turned, and the future seemed unclear to me. I was searching and completely open, available and docile to the next phase of God's plan for my life.
In the exalted atmosphere of Calvary, now in the spiritual state of freedom, I set my heart on Christ's passion and death. Placing my hand on Calvary's surface, I contrasted the cold, hard rock with the warmth of the Sacred Heart aflame with love's passion. In the pangs of death by crucifixion, His heart was entirely kindled with the fire that He longed to start on earth. He was ready to offer His heart to be pierced, desirous of opening His sacred side to be the portal for the saving water and blood that would gush over humanity to redeem it. In the words of Augustine, "What sacrifice can I offer to God worthy of His mercy?"
In the silent hours I remained in prayer, I could almost hear the cacophony of the murderous crowd at Calvary and the contrasting peaceful, steady rhythm of the heart of Jesus. How very perfect is His sacrifice! It became incredibly personal: I crucified Him and it was for me that He suffered and died. I pondered if I would have remained near the cross with Mary, and John the beloved, Magdalene and the other holy women? Would I have run away in fear with the first Apostles?
The mystery remains, but of this I became certain. If I had remained at the foot of the cross at Calvary, it would have been because of Mary's maternal solicitude. I would have looked into her eyes for a sign, a cue of sorts. I can't imagine that I would run away in fear if I had looked into the eyes of the Mother of the Crucified One, ever faithful and courageous! One faith-filled look from Mary would have helped to plant my feet in a steadfast manner at the foot of the cross. Gazing into Mary's eyes mirroring the Lord, I would have known that the abyss between heaven and earth was about to be bridged by the cross upon which hung Jesus.
Looking at Mary so full of love, and knowing that she is looking back at me, coaching me in virtue, protecting me from cowardice, I would have believed and hoped against all appearances of failure. I would have taken my mind off myself and focused on what was really happening here: the redemption of the world! Mary's loving gaze would have reminded me of her Son's words, "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy" (John 16:22). Mary, the perfect Mother of Grace, would urge me to join in her hymn of praise, the Magnificat. Though her holy face would be wet with tears and her heart seven times pierced with sorrow, Mary is the perfect icon of fidelity, courage and love in the midst of the unfathomable sacrifice of Jesus, bone of her bone, flesh of her flesh. Here hangs Mary's Son, the God-Man so disfigured by the brutality of sin, urging the Father to forgive his executioners. Here stands Mary, in unspeakable pain, full of grace, without fear or shame, full of hope. Her feet firmly planted on the rock of Calvary, she knows the time of salvation has come. Was she relieved when Jesus said to Abba, "It is finished"? Perhaps. But in her maternal heart of wisdom, she must have known, that it was only beginning for her and the Church.
I've been praying about how to best live this Lenten season. It has become clear that the Lord is inviting me to keep company with Mary on the way of the cross. Mary can aid us to peer into the mystery of the passion and death of Jesus to discover a love we need to know. She will protect us from countless temptations in the desert of Lent when the devil would like to sift us like sand. He fears Mary and would rather flee than be near the Woman who is the New Eve: obedient and full of grace!
The Lenten desert can be a place of decrease where the false self and unrealistic expectations are put to death for good. Passages from death to new life are not always easy. Mary can accompany us and help us to discern what we need to let go of in order to receive the greater gift of God.
Mothers are adept at helping us to clean up, get ready, and put things in proper order again. Mothers are skillful at applying healing salves to the wounds of children. Mary excels at holding us close to her heart in an embrace that brings peace and strength. Mary never tires of repeating the truth that we are beloved of God. She can help break the chains that bind us from true freedom such as the pesky addictions (alcohol, food, TV, Internet), the compromises (missing times of prayer and the sacraments, illicit relationships, numbing laziness, or frenzied busyness). If we invite Mary into our brokenness, her holiness will take over and help to sever whatever binds us from authentic freedom, love and joy. She doesn't invade our lives; we need to invite her.
Mary enriches our spiritual journey always. Perhaps we can consider living the Lenten season with Mary as fulfilling our Marian consecration also.
How do we walk with Mary during Lent? Here are 10 little steps.
1. Take up Mary's spiritual practices, which likely included, praying the Psalms, meditating on the Scriptures, offering hymns of praise and gratitude to God such as her Magnificat.
2. Imitate Mary's courageous "yes" more intentionally as you walk the Stations of the Cross with her.
3. Imitate Mary's forgiveness and mercy at the foot of the cross where she also forgave her Son's executioners.
4. Imitate Mary's complete focus on her Son Jesus during all the phases of His suffering; and her intercessory prayer for everyone involved.
5. Strive to live Mary's faith, hope and love, simplicity, sacrifice, service and obedience-even in the face of such terrorizing agony.
6. With Mary, sit at the feet of Jesus, choosing the better part-perhaps attend Eucharistic Adoration more frequently and read John's Gospel, Chapter 19.
7. Take up Mary's "beads". Intentionally, live Mary's memories! Linger in contemplation of the Sorrowful Mysteries, asking Mary to help you encounter Jesus in His Passion that you may love Him more.
8. Consider when Jesus breathed His last and Mary did as he said, "Behold your son"-John the Beloved. She took him into her heart and brought forth the best of his Priesthood. Consider the vocation of spiritual motherhood or fatherhood of priests.
9. With Mary, receive Holy Communion more often, mindful that Mary helps you to encounter Jesus more intimately.
10. Console the Sorrowful Mother along the Via Dolorosa, perhaps offering to share in her pierced heart for love of God and neighbor.
Julian of Norwich wrote about Mary, "Our Lord showed me our Lady, Saint Mary, to teach us this: that it was the wisdom and truth in her, when she beheld her Maker, that enabled her to know Him as so great, so holy, so mighty, and so good. His greatness and His nobleness overwhelmed her. She saw herself so little and low, so simple and poor compared to God that she was filled with humility. And so from this humble state she was lifted up to grace and all manner of virtues, and stands above all. This above all causes the soul to seem small in its own sight, to see and love its Maker. And this is what fills it with reverence and humility, and with generous love to our fellow-Christians. The seeking, with faith, hope and love, pleases our Lord, and the finding pleases the soul and fills it with joy." (Enfolded in Love).
|
|
Magnificat Bible Study:
For Such A Time As This
By Paulette Renaudin, CST Member
|
| | Bible study workbook cover |
What comes to your mind when your heart yearns for a Magnificat Bible Study? Do you wish to learn more about the women, our sisters in faith that we read about on the pages in the Bible? Well, Magnificat has some very exciting news for you! I am sure you have heard the rumors that we were planning on having a Bible Study, all of them true, and now it is on the launching pad getting ready for its debut at the conference.
 It was written for women by a woman, in fact, our own Judy Zelden! Judy was a member of the original "Mother Chapter" of Magnificat's Service Team. She presently serves on the CST Advisory Team. Judy's deep love for Scripture with a heart for women is evident on every page. Judy has been teaching a Bible Study to hundreds of women in her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the last ten years.
In communicating with our New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond, D.D., about obtaining the Imprimatur for our Bible study, he decided to send it to a nationally known Scripture Scholar, Dr. Nathan Eubank, to be sure every detail was scripturally sound. After reviewing it, Dr. Eubank presented it to our Archbishop and declared it free from doctrinal or moral error (Nihil Obstat) and ready for the Archbishop's Imprimatur (which means "let it be printed").
Susan Potvin, of Living Praise Music Team, has incorporated the best songs to go along with each lesson. We are extremely proud of Judy's labor of love and we know you will be too when you see the beautiful Bible study she has developed for our ministry. We trust you will want to start facilitating/sharing it with your chapters.
The pricing for the Facilitator's Manual will be $300 for Parish Churches, Archdioceses, and non-Magnificat entities and $250 for Magnificat Chapters. We will have a "Conference Special" discounted price of $200 for Chapters purchasing it at the Conference. The Participant's workbook will be priced at $30.00 for non-Magnificat orders and $25.00 for Magnificat Chapters. International Chapters should plan to purchase the Bible Study at the Conference to avoid expensive shipping.
We are very excited to present our first Bible study to you very soon!
top
|
|
In God's Garden
In God's Garden, There Are No Weeds...Only Flowers
Each of us has a distinct, particular personal beauty.
What kind of flower have you been in God's Garden?
In Mary's bouquet?
What kind of flower will you be?
You are His special creation.
He gives you spiritual nourishment in
Sacraments and Mass.
Breathe in fresh air with constant prayer,
Turn yourself into the Sun of Life,
Water yourself with the tears of sorrow and penance,
Give out the sweet odor of holiness and goodness
So that all may see you and be lifted high in joy
And give glory to God.
You are God's own flower.
You are one of a kind.
You are different from every other person in the world.
God loves you for yourself and for
What you make of yourself.
God loves you for what you are...as you are.
Please take care of yourself.
You are wanted. You are needed.
You can grow beautiful, even as a late-starter,
In God's beautiful garden...
In the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God and our Mother.
God is the gardener. Mary is the garden.
You are their flower.
Lift up your head and rejoice.
|
Winter Retreat for the Lady of the Lake
Chapter, Fremont, Ohio
By Diane Dudenhoefer,
Our Lady of the Lake Chapter
Our Lady of the Lake Magnificat Chapter began the New Year of 2015 in a powerful way with our annual Women's Winter Retreat at the Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center in Fremont Ohio! With Kathleen Beckman as our presenter, we dove into the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and what they have to teach us about spiritual warfare, healing and growth in holiness.
We grew in a deeper understanding of the necessity of the Consecration to Mary, and accepted the apostolate of praying for our priests in a more committed way. Kathleen, an author, radio host and retreat director who frequently speaks to priests, seminarians, religious and laity in the US and abroad has just published her latest book Praying for Priests; A Mission for the New Evangelization.
Our eyes were really opened to see the intense spiritual warfare that our priests are dealing with through Kathleen's sharing of incidents happening in seminaries that she has visited.
Joining us on our retreat was a seminarian from Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. He and our very own Fr. Jerry Nowakowski had little cabins in the woods with everything they needed to be short term hermits-except the fact that they had to spend time with us!!! We found out that Josephinum is the second largest seminary in the US. Preceded by Mundelein in Chicago where Fr. Robert Barron is rector. He is very well known for his Catholicism series and many other teaching tools.
There are hundreds of seminarians studying and discerning their call to the priesthood in these two seminaries alone. John Nahrgang, our Josephinum seminarian, gave his witness of how he came from absolutely no religion, no religious training at all to becoming a seminarian on his way to the Catholic priesthood. No one in his family is in a church and they really don't understand his walk with our Lord. He is 35 years old and not quite in the same place as all the younger men fresh out of college. We all took over as spiritual mothers which Kathleen's book encouraged us to do! He has agreed to come as a Magnificat speaker sometime in the next year. We affirm our Magnificat leadership's prophetic voice in leading all of us in a mission of prayer for priests.
What we gain in growth from our retreats calls us to share what we know, who we are becoming and what our mission calls us to be with the body of Christ that we belong to -our families, our parishes, our prayer groups and in support of our priests. We had five conference talks with Kathleen, prayed the rosary, sang the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and had confession.
Mass and healing prayer groups culminated our day on Saturday. During the three days we had Praise and worship with members of the Servants in Song music ministry which completed the weekend of growth, healing and deeper filling with the Holy Spirit. We are blessed to be Magnificat sisters!
|
"In the wounds of His body, we read the secrets of His heart."
St. Bernard
|
Magnificat has been a driving force in
my life. I have grown in my faith from
the examples of the women. I am truly blessed to have such faith filled women
in my life.
|
|
Magnificat Boys Win the Gold!
Texas Special Olympics
State Bowling Championship
By Diane Bates, CST
As many of you know, my son, Jonathan, and his friend, Tommy, work in our Magnificat logo store. This past weekend, I took them to Austin, TX, to compete in the State Games for Special Olympics Bowling. They bowled as a team. Below are some pictures of the event. Aren't you proud of our boys!
|
| | Jonathan Bates and Tommy Duston, Best Friends |
Last of Three Games: A Total of 6 Strikes and 4 Spares!
Our Boys Won the GOLD MEDAL!!!
Congratulations!!! Way to go, Jonathan and Tommy!!!
|
A Conference Newsflash! The harsh winter delayed this year's projected peak cherry blossom bloom along D.C.'s Tidal Basin to April 11-14. The peak is usually April 5th. God loves us sooooo much & truly takes care of every detail!
|
|
Liturgy of the Hours
Second Reading
From the pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world of the Second Vatican Council
Man's deeper questionings
The world of today reveals itself as at one powerful and weak, capable of achieving the best or the worst. There lies open before it the way to freedom or slavery, progress or regression, brotherhood or hatred. In addition, man is becoming aware that it is for himsel
f to give the right direction to the forces that he has himself awakened, forces that can be his master or his servant. He therefore puts questions to himself.
The tensions disturbing the world of today are in fact related to a more fundamental tension rooted in the human heart. In man himself many elements are in conflict with each other. On one side, he has experience of his many limitations as a creature. On the other, he knows that there is no limit to his aspirations, and that he is called to a higher kind of life.
Many things compete for his attention, but he is always compelled to make a choice among them, and to renounce some. What is more, in his weakness and sinfulness he often does what he does not want to do, and fails to do what he would like to do. In consequence, he suffers from a conflict within himself, and this in turn gives rise to many great tensions in society.
Very many people, infected as they are with a materialistic way of life, cannot see this dramatic state of affairs in all its clarity, or at least are prevented from giving thought to it because of the unhappiness that they themselves experience.Many think they can find peace in the different philosophies that are proposed.
Some look for complete and genuine liberation for man from man's efforts alone. They are convinced that the coming kingdom pf man on earth will satisfy all the desires of his heart.
There are those who despair of finding any meaning in life: they commend the boldness of those who deny all significance to human existence itself, and seek to impose a total meaning on it only from within themselves.
But the face of the way the world is developing today there is an ever increasing number of people who are asking the most fundamental questions or are seeing them with a keener awareness: What is man? What is the meaning of pain, of evil, of death, which still persists in spite of such great progress? What is the use of those successes, achieved at such a cost? What can man contribute to society, what can he expect from society? What will come after this life on earth?
The Church believes that Christ died and rose for all, and can give man light and strength through his Spirit to fulfill his highest calling; he is the only name under heaven in which men can be saved.
So too the Church believes that the center and goal of all human history is found in her Lord and Master.
The Church also affirms that underlying all changes there are many things that do not change; they have their ultim ate foundation in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and for ever.
|
Fr. Kevin's Korner
Magnificat CST Spiritual Advisor
Fr. Kevin Scallon, C.M. 
PaulVI: Pope and Prophet
I arrived to study at Catholic University on the day that Humanae Vitae was published by Pope Paul VI in 1968. The following day a meeting was called of resident theologians to discuss this new encyclical, and I thought it was important enough for me to attend. What I was not expecting was the intensity of the feelings that were expressed against what the Pope had written. Afterwards, when I left the auditorium, an undergraduate girl came up to me carrying a large picture of the Pope. Standing in front of me, she said, "This is what I think of the Pope," and proceeded to tear the picture into small pieces, throwing them into the air. This was my first introduction to the controversy surrounding Humanae Vitae.
The years have passed and in the intervening time, the dire warnings, given by Pope Paul about the effects of widespread contraception, have proven to be accurate. We have only to look around and observe the bitter fruits of contraception and the effect it is having on family life. In the last weeks Pope Francis has
intimated his intention of beatifying Pope Paul VI. In doing this, he is performing a symbolic gesture and giving the Church's unqualified approval of the Papal Ministry of this holy man and his teaching. Pope Paul did not initiate the Second Vatican Council; that was the inspiration of St. John XXIII. His task was to preside over it, which caused him great suffering. His vigilance and wisdom has been acknowledged by almost everyone in the Church, and without him, things might have been much different. Many of us remember how devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary was affected by the Council. People felt that saying the Rosary, along with many other devotions, was not important any more, now that the liturgy had been restored. In response to this, Pope Paul wrote the most beautiful encyclical Marialis Cultus, insisting on the importance for Catholics of expressions of devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. Being aware of the crisis in the priesthood generated by Vatican II, he wrote an encyclical on the theology of the priesthood and another one on the Blessed Eucharist. In the meantime, he was facing considerable opposition from many people, even bishops and priests throughout the Church, who seemed to be disagreeing with him and dissenting from his teaching. This caused him great pain, and yet his mind was reaching out to the ends of the earth. He became the first pope to escape the confines of the Vatican when he visited the Holy Land and the Philippines.
The fortitude of this man underscores the need for pastors and all the baptized to be faithful to the teaching of the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Church. Pope Paul knew that many theologians were in favor of the availability of contraception. But he, led by the Spirit, decided differently. He allowed himself to be guided by the light of the Holy Spirit and the truth of Jesus Christ.
Today, Pope Francis is faced with a similar dilemma at the coming Synod in October of this year. It will be his task to gather up the wisdom of the theologians, and the prayerful reflection of his fellow bishops, and decide on behalf of the Church what we are to believe and how we are to act regarding the moral issues being discussed at the Synod. The same dilemma faces each and every one of us. Are we going to be taught by the secular world, with its absolute relativism [do it yourself morality], or are we going to be enlightened by Christ and by the teaching of His Holy Church.
I have been asked to compose a prayer for the Synod, which you will find on my website: www.intercessionforpriests.org. Please feel free to download and use as you wish. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Magnificat Conference in Washington, DC. In the meantime, we must pray much for the Holy Father and for the Synod.
God Bless You! Fr. Kevin C.M.
A PRAYER for the SYNOD of BISHOPS on the FAMILY
Loving Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth,
through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ,
You teach us what to believe
and how to live.
Look upon Your Church in our struggle
against the powers of darkness and deceit.
Guide our Holy Father and the Bishops
by the light of Your Spirit,
as they prepare for the coming Synod.
Inspire them to bring an end to confusion
and proclaim the truth concerning
human life, human sexuality, and
the true meaning of marriage and family.
We make this prayer through Christ,
our Lord. Amen.
With permission of Ab. New Orleans, 2015
Cover: Stained-glass art by Harry Clarke
Prayer composed by: Fr. Kevin Scallon, CM top
|
Magnificat's 102nd Chapter
Mary, the Mother of the New Evangelization, Detroit, Michigan
By Virginia Shaffer, Coordinator
|
| |
Service Team of Detroit, MI L to R: Margy Nagel, Virginia Shaffer-Coordinator, Anne Guminik
|
Let me give you a little of my background before this adventure with Magnificat in Detroit began. I lived and ministered in the Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Toledo for over 20 years. I had attended many Magnificat meals in Ohio but had no further calling until I moved to the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2008 and searched the Magnificat website for a Chapter in Michigan, especially Detroit. There was none! How could that be? This was the first calling to step into a new ministry to form a Chapter in the Archdiocese of Detroit. After 'much' discussion and prayer with the Lord, I made my initial email contact with the Central Service Team on January 24, 2010.
I knew only one Catholic woman in the Archdiocese of Detroit and she was not being called. I approached my prayer group and no one stepped forward or showed an interest in a Magnificat Chapter. But there was one lady the Lord led me to share the Magnificat ministry with. In turn she shared Magnificat with her friends and they shared with their friends. After 4 or 5 months we felt we had enough women to invite to our first gathering of women which was in January, 2011.
We had a number of confirmation signs from this very first meeting. One was that we had 12 women in attendance. At the last minute one was not able to attend because of sickness but another lady was asked to come to this meeting at the last minute and she accepted on the spot. Therefore, we had 12, one of the Lord's significant numbers.
After returning home, the Lord asked me to plot on a map the locations of the women. Surprisingly, He had circled the Archdiocese with women from all four corners! The next confirmation was for my Assistant Coordinator who had personal doubts. One day she received a package of materials from CST that had the scent of roses. She doubted her sense of smell and had to call the CST to ask if they mailed their materials with the scent of roses? Of course, they don't! When her husband arrived home from work still puzzled, she asked him to smell the materials. He confirmed they smelled like roses. She had nothing else to say but, "Thank you, Blessed Mother! I get it! I hear you calling!"
I believe it was almost a year before we discerned our Chapter name. Many names had been submitted but none were quite right. Finally, "Mary, Mother of the New Evangelization" was submitted and immediately we discerned its acceptance.
Our initial letter to Archbishop Allen Vigneron asking for permission to start a chapter was submitted June 30, 2011 and it took eleven months before a positive reply was received. Later we found out the letter had been routed from one department to another with no one knowing who should handle this unusual request. It was as if it ended up in the dead letter box.
Since time was slipping by, we were advised to have an advocate priest place a phone call to the Chancellor for advice and direction. The Chancellor asked us to resubmit our materials and he would follow-up. With the Chancellor's assistance, our letter of permission to pursue a Magnificat chapter was signed and dated May 30, 2012 by Archbishop Vigneron.
At first we thought forming a Chapter in Detroit would be fairly easy and routine. After all, Magnificat had over 30 years of experience in forming chapters and over 80 active chapters. We knew the journey ahead would have its challenges but we also knew we had been called and anointed for this task. There was never a doubt. One of the scriptures given early on for encouragement was 2 Timothy 4:5 "As for you, be steady and self-possessed, put up with hardship, perform your work as an evangelist and fulfill your ministry."
Pope Francis's statement from "Joy of the Gospel" p.44 gave us great consolation. He states, "One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, "sourpusses." Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand. If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents. While painfully aware of our own frailties, we have to march on without giving in, keeping in mind what the Lord said to St. Paul: "My grace is sufficient for you� for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor.12:9)
We were not idle while processing the State and Federal government regulations. We developed a list of local women whom we could contact to give their testimony. We visited many banquet halls and reviewed menus, considering distance and prices. We made a list of music ministries and created an email list of all parishes in the Archdiocese for future contact. We developed a publicity plan including radio, TV, local newspapers, and vicariate contacts. The legal process with the State and Federal government was the hardest and the longest. We had to surrender and trust the Lord and His timetable to bring us to completion.
We are proud to announce the receipt of Archbishop Vigneron's letter of full approval of the Magnificat Chapter of Detroit, Michigan with his blessings for ministry. With his letter dated January 5, 2015, we became the 102nd Magnificat Chapter. Praise the Lord!
|
Magnificat is now on Facebook. "Like" us on Facebook and share the
beautiful conversation about our Ministry with your friends.
|
MAGNIFICAT PRAYER BOOKLET
 Magnificat has been a daily companion to thousands on their spiritual journey, enriching their prayer life and helping them grow in love and knowledge of Christ and the Church. Every subscription to this lovely Mass and prayer guide directly benefits our Ministry domestically and worldwide.
Regular Edition: first subscription $44.95; second subscription $35; and subsequent subscriptions $29; Large Print Edition: first subscription $64.95; second subscription $55; and subsequent subscriptions $49.
Magnificat
P. O. Box 822
Yonkers, NY 10702
(866) 273-5215
www.magnificat.net/english/
|
Preparation for Spiritual Warfare
By Lenora Grimaud,
Our Lady's Desert Roses,
Palm Desert, CA Chapter
"Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world." (1 Pt. 5:8-9)
Whenever there is a spiritual event that can glorify God, bring healing, wisdom, knowledge, deliverance,
understanding, or repentance, we can be sure that Satan will try to "crash the party." This includes seminars, workshops, prayer meetings, conferences, team meetings, and Magnificat Meals. We can expect to encounter spiritual warfare before, during, and after any of these events. We can expect problems to arise with management, service teams, committees, various ministries, and speakers, as well as attendees. We have to be watchful for the unexpected.
For events outside of our control, we can call upon the Angels and Saints, and especially Our Lady and St. Michael the Archangel for intercession and protection. Fasting, prayer, and almsgiving are good preparation on our part, as well as the use of Sacramentals. Receiving the Sacraments before the event is probably the best preparation. Then, we have to trust in the Lord, that God is in control and whatever happens is part of His plan. We need to respond to all mishaps and trials with the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The fruits of the Spirit are not automatic or infused. They come from growth in the virtues - natural and supernatural. We receive the seeds of the fruit of the Holy Spirit from the Holy Spirit. But, we have to nurture them and make them grow. We have to cooperate with God and with grace. We have to respond to every opportunity to manifest them. Temptations and trials are opportunities to bear good fruit. The tree produces good fruit when it is nurtured, cared for, picked, and given away. Likewise, the seven deadly sins are vices that produce bad fruit. The more habitual the virtues become, the more we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. The more habitual the vices become, the more we will manifest the fruit of sin.
The more we grow in virtue and the fruits of the Spirit, the less vulnerable we are to demonic forces, natural or supernatural, within us or outside of us. In order to grow spiritually, we need to be aware of what sin is; of the virtues and fruits of the Spirit, and how to recognize them and manifest them; of the seven deadly sins and vices, and how to recognize them and resist them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church can help us to do this.
1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."
1834 The human virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and the will that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our conduct in accordance with reason and faith. They can be grouped around the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.
1835 Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it.
1836 Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give God and neighbor their due.
1837 Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
1838 Temperance moderates the attraction of the pleasures of the senses and provides balance in the use of created goods.
1839 The moral virtues grow through education, deliberate acts, and perseverance in struggle. Divine grace purifies and elevates them.
1840 The theological virtues dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity. They have God for their origin, their motive, and their object - God known by faith, God hoped in and loved for his own sake.
1841 There are three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. They inform all the moral virtues and give life to them.
1842 By faith, we believe in God and believe all that he has revealed to us and that Holy Church proposes for our belief.
1843 By hope we desire, and with steadfast trust await from God, eternal life and the graces to merit it.
1844 By charity, we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for love of God. Charity, the form of all the virtues, "binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14).
1845 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon Christians are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.
Evil spirits will try to find an opening in us in order to use us to cause strife, division, discord, and to block the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. We need to know ourselves and to examine our consciences. The evil one can use any one of us, and will try to find our weak spot. He can only use us if we open ourselves to him through the dispositions of the seven deadly sins: pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth. We live with these temptations within us every day. We need to be aware of our weaknesses, as well as our strengths. As Christians, we need to grow in all the virtues, which protect us against these temptations and vices.Some people find it hard to believe in the existence of Satan or evil spirits, but reason alone, tells us that we are influenced and affected by forces outside of us-outside of our control. Every human being has their own personal demons to contend with (sin); which can be just as demonic as any evil spirit. We can be influenced, affected, and tempted by everyone around us-for good or for evil. We are influenced and affected by the thoughts, moods, demeanor (aura), words, actions, and even prayers of others. The way that we pray, and what we pray for needs to be according to the will of God, out of love for God and others. Some prayers are more like curses than blessings. Prayer petitions should never be a form of gossip, or reveal the sins and weaknesses of others. We should never say anything that we would not want the person we are praying for, to hear.
Vice: A habit acquired by repeated sin in violation of the proper norms of human morality. The vices are often linked with the seven capital sins. Repentance for sin and confession may restore grace to a soul, but the removal of the ingrained disposition to sin or vice requires much effort and self-denial, until the contrary virtue is acquired (1866). Glossary CCC.
1849 Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.
|
Give the Magnificat Visitation Pin/Pendant for Easter!
David Pierson Jewelry Design
216 N. Florida Street
Covington, LA 70433
985-871-0457
|
|
"Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name forever!"
Psalm 34:3
Come to the 13th International Leaders' Conference and feel the joy of being together celebrating our shared mission and commitment to Magnify the Lord! This conference is in a new format and a new location in Washington, D.C. "See I am doing something new!" Isaiah 43:19 Magnificat is a Ministry of Evangelization, Praise, Prayer, Fellowship, and Teamwork. Be encouraged and amazed with us!
For more Conference 2015 information including schedules, costs, registration and frequently asked questions (FAQ),
click on
|
This Newsletter is brought to you by the Magnificat Central Service Team
Paulette Renaudin, Editor
Elise Botch, Layout Page Designer
CST Communications Ministry
|
|
|
|
