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Summer 2015
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Volume 8 Issue 15
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This summer so much is changing in our culture, our country and our world, and we may feel helpless to bring things back to "normal." God has a plan and we must pray and trust that Jesus' Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will overcome the evil in our world. In this Newsletter, Fr. Kevin recounts a poignant story concerning Blessed Charles de Foucauld. And I would like to recommend to you a powerful prayer composed by Blessed Charles de Foucauld - The Prayer of Abandonment. This prayer has changed my life, and I pray that it will be a blessing to you, also. Hope you find time to rest and reflect this this summer!
Blessings,
Kathy MacInnis, Coordinator
Central Service Team
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Prayer of Abandonment
Father, I abandon myself to You, do with me whatever You will.
Whatever You may do I shall always thank you.
I am ready for all. I accept all. Let only Your will be done in me
and in all Your creatures.No more do I wish than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul.
I offer it to You with all the love of my heart.
For I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself into Your hands
without reserve and with boundless confidence, for You are my Father.
Blessed Charles de Foucauld
Blessed Charles Eug�ne de Foucauld was a French Catholic religious and priest living among the Tuareg in the Sahara in Algeria. He was assassinated in 1916 outside the door of the fort he built for the protection of the Tuareg, and is considered by the Catholic Church to be a martyr. His inspiration and writings led to the founding of the Little Brothers of Jesus among other religious congregations. He was beatified on 13 November 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI.
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Holy Father's Monthly Intentions
August:
Universal Intention: Volunteers
That volunteers may give themselves generously to the service of the needy.
Evangelization Intention: Outreach to the Marginalized
That setting aside our very selves we may learn to be neighbors to those who find themselves on the margins of human life and society.
September:
Universal Intention: Opportunities for the Young That opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.
Evangelization Intention: Catechists
That catechists may give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.
October:
Universal Intention:
That human trafficking, the modern form slavery may be eradicated.
Evangelization Intention:
That with a missionary spirit the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel for those who are still awaiting it.
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LIturgy of the Hours
Second Reading
From a discourse on the psalms by Saint Hilary, Bishop
The river whose streams gladden the city of God
The river of God is brimming with water. You have provided their food, for this is your way of preparing them. There can be no doubt about the river referred to, for the prophet says: There is a river whose streams gladded the city of God; and in the gospel the Lord himself says: Streams of living water welling up to eternal life will flow from the heart of anyone who drinks the water I shall give him. He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive. The river of God is brimming with water; that is to say, we are inundated by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and from that fountain of life the river of God pours into us in full flood.
We also have food prepared for us. And who is this food? It is he in whom we are prepared for life with God, for by receiving his holy body we receive a place in the communion of his holy body. This is what is meant by the words of the psalm: You have provided their food, for this is your way of preparing them. For as well as refreshing us now, that food also prepares us for the life to come.
We who have been reborn through the sacrament of Baptism experience intense joy when we feel within us the first stirrings of the Holy Spirit. We begin to have an insight into the mysteries of faith we are able to prophesy and to speak with wisdom. We become steadfast in hope and receive the gift of healing. Demons are made subject to our authority. These gifts enter us like a gentle rain, and once having done so, little by little, they bring forth fruit in abundance.
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Magnificat CST Spiritual Advisor
Fr. Kevin Scallon, C.M.
You Must Always Come To Me
The Basilica di Sant'Andrea delle Fratte is a little church tucked away in the corner over from the Piazza di Spagna. It is quite a famous church having several of Bernini's sculptures and other pieces. It was at this side altar that Saint Maximilian Kolbe celebrated his first mass and where Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal appeared to Alphonse Ratisbonne, a Jewish man who converted to the faith and founded religious communities to promote relations between Jews and Catholics. It was also featured in Puccini's opera Tosca.
While staying in Rome I would often go there to pray and attend Mass, and sometimes go to confession. Because of demand and the number of priests who wish to celebrate at St. Maximilian's altar, there is normally a Mass every half hour. Sr. Briege and I were asked to speak at the Mass for the closing of The Year for Priests. The day before I decided to go there to confession. My plan was to attend the ongoing Mass, make my confession, and assist at the next Mass.
When I was going into the church I was preceded by a little man carrying a backpack. He went into a pew and I went into the pew across the aisle from him. As I did this, he turned to me, smiled and bowed. Slightly puzzled I began my preparation for confession while the Mass was proceeding. I did not pay much attention to the Mass, intending to receive communion at the following Mass. Suddenly, as from nowhere, the man appeared before me with his outstretched hand holding the Sacred Host. Taken aback, I tried to indicate that he should receive; that the Host was for him and not me. At this he leaned reverently forward and said to me in very clear English, "No, this is not for me, this is for you," and he placed the Sacred Host in my hand and I consumed it. Meanwhile, there was a person standing near with hands folded in an attitude of great reverence, who, when I received the Host, bowed and seemed to move away. The man then left the church at once.
Still somewhat stunned, I went and asked a priest to hear my confession at which point I learned that there would not be another Mass that morning. So I decided to sit for a while, reflecting on this unusual but deeply touching experience. I said, "Lord, please explain to me what just happened here." At once, an inner voice said to me, "You must always come to Me so that I may come to you." I had never heard Holy Communion being expressed in such a manner. After an intense period of meditation on all of this, I made my way back to the convent where I was staying.
As I walked I began to think of this man. He was not too tall with brown short cut hair, brown beard, and deep brown eyes. I thought to myself "I know this man" and several names came into my mind: Padre Pio, St. John Vianney, and St. Francis. As I passed the statue of the Immaculate Conception in the Piazza di Spagna, one name came clearly and with certainty into my mind, Blessed Charles de Foucauld. It was a real epiphany. The little man was Blessed Charles de Foucauld. The attending reverent person, was this an accompanying angel to protect the Holy Eucharist and to adore Jesus?
When Jesus said, " You must always come to me so that I may come to you," He was expressing an important truth of our faith and of our sacramental life. Until then I had never been aware of the joy we give Jesus when He comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. It was a new revelation. We see today how many receive Jesus very casually and maybe even unworthily. Jesus was expressing his delight at being received with reverence and welcome. It was as if He was saying, "Thank you for your welcome. Thank you for providing Me a place where I can feel at home, where I can rest and find love and peace."
This experience burned in my heart with great intensity and still returns to me from time to time. With an experience like this there is often a residue of doubt about it's authenticity. Some months later, Sr. Briege and I were conducting a retreat for priests in England, and during that retreat this experience kept coming into my mind. I prayed, "Jesus I hope You do not mind, but I am going to lay a fleece before You. I will take Your answer and give You thanks." The fleece that I put before the Lord is that I would meet a priest that day named Charles. So I finished my prayer and got on with my work. When it came for the time for me to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I went to the room and prepared for the first penitent. In due course, the door opened and a young priest came in and said, "Good morning Father Kevin. My name is Fr. Charlie." I smiled and said to myself, "Thank You, Lord."
All of this has transformed the way that I approach Holy Communion and I hope that those who read this will experience the love and nearness of our Eucharistic Lord.
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Finding Our Past in God
By Paulette Renaudin, CST Member
This summer I was blessed to be able to make a pilgrimage celebrating St. Teresa of Avila's 500th Birthday. Pilgrimages afford us the opportunity to grow closer to God beyond our expectations. They are such great adventures! I relish the insight gained from exploring new vistas. This pilgrimage included Lourdes, Avila, Loyola, Manresa, Montserrat, Segovia, Barcelona and other holy sites. The spiritual leadership for the pilgrimage was marvelous. The two priests leading the pilgrimage were steeped in Ignatian Spirituality as well as a very special Teresian Sister from San Sebastian, Spain who has been studying and living Ignatian Spirituality her entire life. We were also blessed to have the deacon from our parish join us. I had no idea how I would be affected as I tried to empty myself; only in my emptiness can I be sustained by the buoyancy of God's unfailing love. I was trying to make each step I took, a stepping- stone to God. I felt privileged to travel the same paths as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. John of the Cross, and St. Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes. In Barcelona, we saw the works of the renowned Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, especially his Sagrada Familia Church that has been under construction for 123 years
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| | St. Teresa of Avila Altar |
and due to be completed in 2026! The trip would not have been complete without that visit. Bringing many prayer petitions for family and friends made the entire trip worthwhile. Along the way, I began to be grateful for each saint's "Yes" to God. God reveals His will for us in myriads of ways. Each saint's life was difficult, but they stayed the course to the end. We can visit and study their lives and attempt to emulate their virtues in our own lives.
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| | Sagrada Familia Church in Barcelona. |
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| | Our Lady of Montserrat Church in Montserrat |
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I had brought a book along with me titled 'Inner Compass' by Margaret Silf. It is an invitation to Ignatian Spirituality. In one chapter the author spoke of meditating on the passage in Scripture from 1 Kings:19 but she came away with a different take on the passage. For her it was a call to recognize those particular "oxen teams" in her life who had provided the guidance and the pulling power in the plowing of her own life's furrow; those men and women who were personal beacons of faith on her spiritual journey. I decided to make the same meditation and see where God would lead me.
My first "oxen team" was my parents, who through Baptism opened the gates of heaven for me and instilled the faith I have today. I then recall a woman I knew when I was sixteen years old, who helped me gain assurance and not be so shy. After her, I had an employer who took my confidence to the next level. Then, a parent whose children I babysat for also added to my self-reliance. Next came a wise priest who told me the first young man I brought to him for marriage was not the right one for me. Later, I brought another young man to him to marry, and he married us forty years ago. The Lord then reminded me of a friend who introduced me to Magnificat and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. What a life changing experience! I now behold the benevolent first Magnificat Service Team, the "oxen team" in so many of our lives, who diligently steered this ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit for many years. They plowed their furrows in season and out of season keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus, who kept their furrows straight. They plowed until it was time for them to put down their yokes for others to pick up. My meditation then led me to my present position on the CST, which sometimes feels like my field is flooded and hard to plow. But I know I'm linked to my present "sisters" on the Magnificat CST's present "oxen team" leading future generations of women to Christ. The linking with the Holy Spirit thrills me with the course/furrow the ministry is now on. When I think back to the joy, the holy friendships, the praise and worship at the most Spirit-filled conference to date, I am filled with such gratitude. Thank you for allowing me to serve you in Our Lady's Garden! At this point you might want to meditate and journal on the "oxen teams" in your life bringing you spiritually to where you are today. If they are with you, please pray about thanking them personally. I feel that this article is the fruit of the grace of my silent, individually directed, retreat last week. It was the second year my husband and I went together to Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House in Dallas, TX to participate in that type of retreat. The goal of a directed retreat is a step toward liberation of oneself. We become a new creation ready to do God's will. From (189) in the Spiritual Exercises: "Let each one reflect that the measure of progress in the spiritual life is the transcending of self-love, self-will, and self-interest.
If you were not able to make a pilgrimage this year, I would like to recommend a book called Jesus - A Pilgrimage, by the gifted storyteller and spiritual director Fr. James Martin, S.J. It is a journal of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is such an invitation to know Jesus as Messiah and Savior as well as friend and brother. Have a restful and restorative summer.
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Walnut Creek Chapter hosts Vocalist, Kitty Cleveland
By Arcilia Petersen, Coordinator of Walnut Creek Chapter The Walnut Creek Service Team met Kitty for dinner on the evening before the meal. As they approached Kitty and her husband and daughter, they were blessed to see a beautiful family at play. At the meal, Kitty called upon Mama Mary and sang the Ave Maria. She told them many ways that the joy in our lives can be hampered, but, the key she told them, was to surrender to joy! As she continued her testimony, speaking about the sad times her family lived through, she now knows without a doubt, the way through any situations is to trust God and that His grace is sufficient. It was true then for her family while her dad was in prison, and it is now with any other predicament that arises. Kitty would count on the promises of St. Faustina when she remembered to live by her trust in God and a willingness to surrender all to Jesus. On her knees daily at her holy hour, she listened to Jesus. His reply was to surrender and to rejoice in Him. She also shared there were moments of anger, but she recalled that anger must be tempered with surrender. "Slow down and smell the flowers," she said. When they got news that her father's case would be heard by the Supreme Court, he was able to come home. His testimony of grace was that all charges we re dropped against him, and he was reinstated into the Diaconate. Kitty reminded us that in the blink of an eye all our joy can be restored and to pray always with thanksgiving. Her witness was truly an inspiring day for all in attendance. I am reminded that when we
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| | Top Row- Fr. Jerry Brown, Kitty Cleveland Front Row- Arcilia Petersen, Maribel Serrano, Linda Lewis- Atkinson, Veronica Brown |
allow the Fruits of the Spirit into our lives, people notice. From the moment we saw Kitty and her family, grace surrounded her. Joy was heard in her voice, peace, patience, self-control were witnessed. Her faithfulness to Jesus with trust and surrender is how Kitty lives her life. The Healing Hand of God extended from her to us in a beautiful moment of evangelization through Kitty's own Magnificat!
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The Gardener's Voice
by Paulette Renaudin,. CST Member
O you who dwell in the gardens, my companions are listening for your voice; let me hear it. Song of Solomon 8:13
God gives us these moments as gifts to refresh our spirits in Him. For seconds at a time He reveals Himself to us in myriads of ways! While on pilgrimage this summer, trying to stay up with the group, my attention was drawn to this shop because of a flower quilt in the window. I snapped my shutter immediately in a hurry and was really unsure what photo I would receive. I say "receive" because I think all photos are "received" rather than "taken," because God allows us to observe the beauty of what we see through the lens of our camera. I could see that the quilt had words on it, but I was not even sure if they were in English or Spanish at the time. In the evening, I did not look back through my photos received in order to save my camera battery. Needless to say, when I returned home eleven days later, one of the first things I did was upload my photos on my computer. Immediately, my eyes were riveted to the quilt picture. I actually wept when I could appreciate the words even though I needed to use a magnifier to see them. I knew right away, this was a gift from the Lord on my trip. Nothing could have pleased me more!
Handwork has always been one of my hobbies. Years ago, I was very active in the American Needle-Worker's Guild. Gardening is also a passion and I think of myself as a "flower child" not in the "hippie" definition but as a person who sees God in every flower. That is why this quilt has absolutely captured me. I enlarged the photo and framed it on my desk where I can see it every day. I believe it was no accident that I received this image, because I believe it has special significance for Our Lady's Garden of Magnificat.
One precious square says "Nurture my garden, nurture my soul," another block reads "Where flowers bloom, so does hope!" We've always called our Chapters "flowers" and I am reminded of the hope that blooms at our meals. Chapters in Formation could echo the square that says, "Sprout, grow, bloom." I've always believed, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson, that "The earth laughs in flowers" as depicted on one square. Another section reminds me of our "Garden Journal." "Gardeners use flowers as paint, soil and sky as canvas." Jesus often used garden imagery to teach His disciples. So much life happens in a garden! I couldn't wait to share this gift with you, I hope you enjoy this quilt as much as I have and may it take you on a special journey into the garden of your own soul and into the heart of our beautiful ministry.
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By Marilyn Heap, CST Advisor
A recent article on the National Catholic Register website, The Family is the Battlefield in a Great Spiritual War, told about a prophecy by Sister Lucia dos Santos, of Fatima, which concerns "the final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan". It tells how the battlefield is the family and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family. It further states that John Paul II, felt too, "this was the crux, as it touches the very pillar of creation, the truth of the relationship between man and woman among the generations. If the founding pillar is touched the entire building collapses and we see this now, because we are at this point and we know it."
In prayer, as I was agonizing over the Supreme Court ruling on same sex marriage, speaking to the Lord about where will all this go, and how I am to handle it, I was reminded of a word the Lord had given me as the ruling was announced. It was explained that this time is a time like Samson's. Long-standing principles (pillars), like Samson's hair, have been cut off and the eyes of many Christians have been gouged-out resulting in blindness. As the battle rages to restore the principles and growth begins, Christians will be persecuted and made to look like fools, and in the process, the "building" (an era, a country, a system of government, the world???) will collapse. Somehow it comforted me knowing what to expect and that our power to endure will come from our Almighty God as it did for Samson and for Jesus in His Crucifixion. I also got the sense that I was to cling to Our Lady to help me endure as she did throughout His life as He was born into and raised in a very hostile environment. Sr. Lucia concludes saying "Our Lady has already crushed its (Satan's) head". How this will be manifested remained a question for me.
Judy Zelden shared with me her thoughts about this Samson prophecy and in some way has answered this question for me. Judy wrote, "As I was coming home from Mass and prayer I thought of the prophecy. It was as though the Lord was saying that just as Samson compromised and eventually even apostatized, his suffering brought him back to his true role and mission. I had a sense that the Lord was saying that this is what the church must do because like Samson we are sinning so totally that we have to be turned over to our enemies and be humiliated to find our way back."
Judy continued, "It is tempting to look at the 'other guys' and point fingers, but the only person we can really do anything about is ourselves. We are to try to stand in the gap so to speak and join our sufferings to His that the church will come back to her true mission. Our Lady is a true refuge during these times."
The Lord showed me that one way to "seek refuge in our Lady" is to mediate on her Seven Sorrows. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to use the devotion Our Lady gave us through St. Bridget, which is to daily meditate on each of her Seven Sorrows while saying a Hail Mary for each sorrow. Mother Mary's distress must have been excruciatingly painful as she awaited what was going to happen next in each of these heart-wrenching events. Who can better help us in the agonizing hours we seem to be facing than the one who has "already crushed its (Satan's) head"?
Let's take up the challenge and begin meditating on our Lady' tears, her Seven Sorrows. They are:
1. The prophecy of Simeon (Lk. 2: 34-35)
2. The flight to Egypt (Mt 2: 13-14)
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
(Lk. 2: 43-45)
4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion
6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.
7. The burial of Jesus
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows - September 15th
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Two New Assignments in Our CST Office
Michelle Seghers - Michelle is our new Event Planner. She will be helping Diane Bates in coordinating all of the tasks required to plan and host our Magnificat International Leaders' Conferences. Michelle comes to us with many years of experience in planning events as a Youth Minister at her home parish. She also helped with the execution of the 2013 and 2015 Conferences, which gives her a great head start for taking on the position. We welcome Michelle with open arms and are so grateful for her "yes"! Mary Berger - Mary is our new Magnificat Logo Store Coordinator. With the launch of our Magnificat Proclaims book and Magnificat Bible Study, our Store needs automation in order to handle the increased workload. Mary will be the Project Leader for implementing an Online Shopping Cart for the ministry. She will also be coordinating the growing number of vendors and products that the Store interfaces with. Mary comes to us with many years of experience in planning race events around the country, building websites, and online shopping carts. Along with MIchelle Seghers, she helped with the execution of the 2015 conference, most notably the Logo Tables. We are so blessed to have Mary join our Magnificat family!
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"The Diligent Gardener"
By Kathy MacInnis, CST Coordinator
Proverbs 13:4 The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
As many of you are aware, the Chapter Formation Process takes a long time to compete. At this time in the Formation Process, there are five Chapters in Formation (Greenville, SC, Orlando, FL, Omaha, NE, Phoenix, AZ and Suffolk County, NY) that are in the final stage of formation and are waiting to receive from their Dioceses and the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) the letters granting them inclusion in the Official Catholic Directory (OCD) which will automatically give them Tax Exempt Status with the IRS. Typically this takes many months, even more than a year, to receive approval. This is a very trying time for them. Please keep your Magnificat sisters in your prayers as they wait patiently.
Diane Dudenhoefer, Formation Chairperson, and I are amazed by the fortitude of these women forming Magnificat chapters. They are not about to give up. In fact, in a recent email from Laurie Walsh, Coordinator, from Phoenix, AZ, she stated, "I will never give up, I will never ever give up!" And she speaks for all of our dedicated Magnificat women forming chapters. These women are empowered by the Holy Spirit with the Gifts of Wisdom and Fortitude. And they also shine with the Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy and Peace, with a large measure of Patience. Please keep these and all of our Chapters in Formation in your prayers, they count on them.
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New Assignments for Regional Reps
Pat Higginbotham comes to us as Coordinator of the Our Lady of Grace Chapter in Morgantown, West Virginia, which she helped form, and now has accepted the position of Regional Rep for Region 6. Pat is the mother of three married children and the grandmother of eight precious grandchildren. She has been active in the Charismatic Renewal for 35 years, and has served as a prayer group leader, lector and cantor in her parish. She says, "she loves the ministry of Magnificat on many levels." She loves working with the talented women of Magnificat who give so generously in service to the Church. We thank you for your 'YES!
Susan Shaw, Regional Rep for Region 5, has graciously accepted the role of Assistant Regional Rep Chair. Jackie France, the Chair of the Regional Reps for the ministry, is taking a leave of absence to take care of her husband, Joe, who is undergoing tests and treatments in preparation for possible pancreatic surgery. Jackie has served as the backbone of the Regional Reps for our domestic chapters for many years. We pray for healing, patience, and renewed strength during this trying time for Jackie and family. Let's also lift up Susan in prayer as she assumes this new position.
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Magnificat Malta Chapter at Washington DC Conference
Edited By Josanne Cassar
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| | Marly Cassar, Lucia Pace, Paulette Renaudin, and Mariz Cassar |
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A delegation of three members of the Magnificat Malta Chapter recently attended the 13th International Leaders' Conference, held in Washington DC, USA. The delegation was composed of Mariz Cassar, Marly Cassar and Lucia Pace. The conference had the theme 'Proclamation of the Kingdom,' which was inspired by the third luminous mystery.
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The conference was held over four days and had, among the 400 members present, past guest speakers of the Malta Chapter, Kathleen Beckman, Sr Briege McKenna, OSC, and Maria Vadia.
Commenting on her experience at the conference, Ms Cassar said much was accomplished in making contacts for future speakers visiting Malta. "It was such a witness of the love of God, when women come together in love, peace and joy, which is what we experienced at this event," she said.
The conference started with a Mass celebrated by Fr Kevin Scallon, CM, at St Agnes Catholic Church in Arlington, VA. The first general session, chaired by the incoming Leader of Magnificat's American chapter, Kathy MacInnis, had the theme 'The Impact of Magnificat on Women and the Impact of Magnificat Women on the World.' Personal testimonies were given by Kathleen Beckman, Dorinda Bordlee and Maria Vadia.
The second general session was a Ministry of Praise and Worship around the World. Chapters from the Caribbean, the Hispanic group and Poland entertained the delegates with their joyful traditional music of praise. Workshops were provided on A Ministry of Team Work, Prayer and Music Ministries, Spiritual Advisors and Evangelizing through Financial Strength.
The highlight of the conference was the Ministry of Fellowship, Magnificat's Dinner with personal testimonies from Gloria Gomez and Claudia Castorena, who showed us how the Lord worked in their lives. Gloria, coming from a broken family, travelling back and forth from America to Mexico, which brought her insecurity and homelessness, opened a very successful Home for the Homeless in California, with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Pictured with Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona (back row, from left): Angela Galea Salomone, Rita Petrocochino, Bridget Tabone, Helen Tabone, Anette Cassar and Fr Stephen Doktorczyk, JCL. Not in photo: Denise Camilleri. Front row (from left) are Myriam England, Liliana Staines, Mariz Cassar, Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona, Kathleen Beckmann and Mr Gabriel Ferrucci.
There was a pre-conference tour of the city and another highlight was a visit to the Blessed Pope John Paul II Shrine of the Divine Mercy, where his blood relic was exposed as a special privilege.
The five objectives of Magnificat are to: Live out the mystery of Mary's Visit to Elizabeth, therefore to proclaim God as our Saviour and to be in humble service to Him; Help Catholic women: a) Open more to the Holy Spirit, b) Commit to Jesus as Lord, and c) Love, serve and share the Good News of Salvation; Provide opportunities, which foster growth in holiness; Sponsor Magnificat Meals, an essential function of Magnificat; and Imitate Mary through spiritual adoption of priests/seminarians.
Magnificat was set up on October 7, 1981, and the Malta Chapter has been active ever since. The members include Myriam England (European representative), Mariz Cassar (Malta's Co-ordinator), Helen Tabone, Denise Camilleri, Angela Galea Salomone, Bridget Tabone, Marly Cassar, Rita Petrocochino and Anette Cassar with Fr Hayden Williams, OFM Cap., as Spiritual Director.
Myriam England (European representative), Helen Tabone, Denise Camilleri, Angela Galea Salomone, Bridget Tabone, Mariz Cassar and Marly Cassar. (Also members not in photo: Rita Petrocochino and Anette Cassar)
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Pope Francis Visits the United States for the First Time!
LOVE is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive
World Meeting of Families Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 26-27, 2015
Vatican Splendors will be on display at the Franklin Institute, the most visited museum in Philadelphia. Visiting this museum will unquestionably add an unforgettable layer to that once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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The Holy Father calls for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016
The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy will officially begin on December 8, 2015, with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and will end on November 20, 2016, the Feast of Corpus Christi (Christ the King). It will be ushered in by the symbolic opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at Vatican City. The other holy doors of basilicas around the world will also be opened as a sign of God's opening a new pathway to salvation. " I am convinced that the whole church-has much need to receive mercy because we are sinners-will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time," Pope Francis said announcing the year.
On the first day of a holy year, the Pope strikes the brick wall with a silver hammer and opens it to the pilgrims. The message imparted by the Holy Door is that God's mercy reaches out to mankind's frailty.
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Praise Report on Magnificat Proclaims
"But you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, through Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:8
The Power of the written word - oh how amazing! I recently finished reading the 19 powerful and inspirational testimonies in the newly published book Magnificat Proclaims. I was moved with wonder and amazement how God works through the Holy Spirit to mold each of these women's lives bringing them into total communion with Him. Each woman's experience was unique but they all were transformed by His amazing grace.
I could relate to some of the women through their testimonies. I was born in a Catholic Hospital, educated in Catholic School, and even worked for Catholic communities. I knew about God but like many in the book I did not have a relationship with God. I got lost on the way, separated from God and caught up in the world of self absorption. Circumstances in life finally brought this "prodigal child" back home where God was waiting with open arms, grace and mercy. He filled me with the Holy Spirit and my life changed!
Magnificat Proclaims is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Hearing a testimony is one thing but being able to read, re-read and reflect on one is another. The book is a great tool for evangelization. I purchased more than one so I could pass them on and "Magnify" the Lord through them. Recently I gave a book to a friend and suggested a testimony she may want to read first as her life circumstances were similar. My hope in sharing the book is that she and others will "see" how God transforms the lives of ordinary women when we they are open to Him.
Thank you for this book and all the women who agreed to shared their personal testimonies. Reading them gives us the opportunity to actually "hear" how God is working though the Holy Spirit in today's world through so many women.
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Happy Feast of the Assumption!
August 15th
Almighty and everlasting God,
You have taken up body and soul
into the heavenly glory the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Your Son: Grant, we beseech You,
that, ever intent upon heavenly things,
we may be worthy to be partakers of her glory.
Through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.
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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
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Just a Reminder ... a "Printer Friendly" version of this Newsletter is available!
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