Feast of the Visitation

Today is the Feast of the Visitation- when Mary goes to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth and both exult in the amazing things God has done in their lives. The Gospel today is Luke 1: 39-56, and contains some very familiar words... both Elizabeth's greeting to Mary, which has become part of our familiar "Hail Mary" prayer, and Mary's poetic response, known as the Magnificat.

You could help your children appreciate this feast by talking about how it feels to have good news to share, and how it feels to get to hear someone else's good news, too. Maybe you could take a couple minutes to listen to each other share a piece of good news-- especially what you are thankful to God for today. 

The other part of the story is that while both women were experiencing miraculous pregnancies (Mary as a virgin, Elizabeth as a woman long past child-bearing years), they both surely had concerns and worries connected to these great gifts. They supported and encouraged each other-- something that (hopefully) comes natural to family. Are there concerns and worries that your child and you can help each other with, and can pray for each other about?

As we come to the end of May, the month dedicated to Mary, praying the Hail Mary together would be a lovely way to conclude your family conversation.

Hail Mary, full of grace, 
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Something new at St. Andrew's!

When your family comes to Mass this weekend, look for a new statue of Mary near our Church building! If you come from the main parking lot, look right, just as you are passing the back exterior wall of the Cry Room. If you parked up in the smaller lot, go past the entry doors and look left.

Surrounded by flowers and with a small bench for quiet prayer, is a new statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus. What do your children notice about the statue? That she looks happy/peaceful? That she's holding out her hands to us? That she's stepping on a snake?!

About that snake... go to Genesis 3:15 (Genesis is the very first book in the Bible), and as God is communicating the consequences for sin in the Adam and Eve story, God describes the snake who tempted them to sin as their enemy. Toward the other end of the Bible, in Romans chapter 5, Paul compares Jesus to Adam... as sin entered the world through one human (Adam), through the "new Adam", Jesus, sin is overcome. And through succumbing to temptation by one woman (Eve) we explain our tendency to selfishness, through the generous faithfulness of the "new Eve" (Mary), we can know that we are able to overcome temptation and say 'yes' to God.

We don't worship Mary, that's not the point of a statue. Rather, it's a visual reminder of someone who can be a role model, a hero for us in faith. A statue can remind us that we can ask Mary to pray for us, that we be good and faithful and loving like she was. We can think about what qualities she had that made her the first disciple of Jesus, and work on being like that in our own lives.

Maybe showing them the statue would be a good opportunity to pray the Hail Mary together, or to teach them the words, if they aren't familiar with the prayer:

Hail Mary, full of grace, 
the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

It is good to have places set apart to remind us to pray. Places where we can focus without distraction. Where in your home do you like to pray? Where is your child used to praying? If there's not a place right now, maybe you can figure out one together!