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You may have noticed as a regular feature on the front of the bulletin our Parish Mission Statement. As you know, a Mission Statement is designed to do two things – the first is to let those who see it come to a deeper understanding of the organization it represents and secondly, it helps the organization itself to keep before it its fundamental mission and to avoid placing time and energy into things that are outside of that mission.
Over the past year, our Parish Pastoral Council decided that the time had come to review and revamp our Parish Mission Statement. After discernment and consideration the following will now officially be the Mission Statement of St. Mary’s Visitation Parish: We are a community of believers who strive to be faithful and to teach the truth of the Roman Catholic Church. We see beauty in the sacramental life of the Church, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in adoration of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. We promote goodness in this world, following the example of our Blessed Mother, our Lady of the Visitation, by serving the needs of others. There are a few things to point out regarding this new Parish Mission Statement. First, we see three direct statements regarding our mission – each statement directly tied into one of the attributes of God – truth, beauty and goodness. The first part of the Mission Statement acknowledges the truth which has been passed on to us through the Catholic Church. As a community we are called to come to a deeper understanding of what the Church teaches us and from that understanding to assent to it with a spirit of intellectual obedience and then to pass this truth on to the next generation under the guidance of the Magisterium of the Church. For us to be truly a parish we must embrace, with deep faith, the fullness of Divine Revelation as has been given to us through the Church. The second statement is focused in on the beauty of God and the reflection of that beauty through the sacramental life of the parish, most especially the celebration of the Mass and by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our Perpetual Adoration Chapel. Beauty is reflected in the way in which we pray with reverence and piety so that we may encounter God through the beauty of divine worship. It also is a reminder that even the physical grounds of the parish should be an invitation to see the beauty of God reflected in them. The final statement is centered on the goodness of God which we are called to reflect in our day to day lives – whether at home or at work or in the community. God is very good and we, He is people, should strive for virtue and perfection, to abandon sin and to be sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a particular way we, as a parish, look to Our Lady, most especially as she shows us in her Visitation to Elizabeth, to show us how to live this life of goodness through a spirit of sacrifice and a generosity in serving the needs of the parish and the wider community, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Mission Statements are important to help make clear the mission of the parish both to those who may be new, as well as those who are already present. May the Holy Spirit grant us the gift of His grace to faithfully live it out! During this month of February in which we seek to deepen our devotion to the Holy Family, a novena prayer is provided. A novena is nine days of prayer for a specific intention which would, in this case, be fittingly tied to our intention of our own families deepening their holiness.
Novena Prayer to the Holy Family Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving Holy Church as I should, above every earthly thing, and of ever showing love by my deeds. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of openly professing as I should, with courage and without human respect, the faith that I received as your gift in holy Baptism. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of sharing as I should in the defense and propagation of the Faith when duty calls, whether by word or by the sacrifice of my possessions and my life. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace of loving my family and others in mutual charity as I should, and establish us in perfect harmony of thought, will and action, under the rule and guidance of the shepherds of the Church. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, bless me and grant me the grace conforming my life fully as I should to the commandments of God’s law and those of His Holy Church, so as to live always in that charity which they set forth. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I ask in particular this special favor: (here state your intention). Most loving Jesus, by your sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience, and gentleness, You blessed with peace and happiness the family which You chose on earth. In Your mercy look upon my family. We belong to You, for we have received Your many blessings over many years and we entrust ourselves to Your loving care. Look upon my family in Your loving kindness, preserve us from danger, give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in imitation of Your Holy Family, so that having revered You and loved You faithfully on earth, we may praise You eternally in heaven. Mary, dearest Mother, to your intercession we have recourse, knowing that your Divine Son will hear your prayers. Glorious patriarch, Saint Joseph, help us by your powerful prayers to offer our prayers to Jesus through Mary’s hands. Amen. Lord Jesus Christ, being subject to Mary and Joseph, You sanctified family life by Your beautiful virtues. Grant that we, with the help of Mary and Joseph, may be taught by the example of Your Holy Family, and may after death enjoy its everlasting companionship. Lord Jesus Christ, help us ever to follow the example of Your Holy Family, that in the hour of our death Your glorious Virgin Mother together with Saint Joseph may come to meet us, and we may be worthy to be received by You into the everlasting joys of heaven. You live and reign forever. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). This month’s devotion is the Holy Family, in order to help keep this monthly devotion, a number of prayers (suitable for the individual, or a family together) are provided:
Prayer to the Holy Family Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, bless our family. Graciously inspire in us the unity, peace, and mutual love that you found in your own family in the little town of Nazareth. Mary, Mother of Jesus and Our Mother, nourish our family with your faith and your love. Keep us close to your Son, Jesus, in all our sorrows and joys. Joseph, Foster-father to Jesus, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety. Holy Family of Nazareth, make our family one with you. Help us to be instruments of peace. Grant that love, strengthened by grace, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. May we always have God at the center of our hearts and homes until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with you. Amen. Another Prayer to the Holy Family Lord Jesus Christ, who, being made subject to Mary and Joseph, didst consecrate domestic life by Thine ineffable virtues; grant that we, with the assistance of both, may be taught by the example of Thy holy Family and may attain to its everlasting fellowship. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. Family Consecration to the Holy Family O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home in Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness. Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings. O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be (three times each). A Further Prayer to the Holy Family O most loving Jesus, Who by Thy sublime and beautiful virtues of humility, obedience, poverty, modesty, charity, patience and gentleness, and by the example of Thy domestic life, didst bless with peace and happiness the family Thou didst choose on earth, in Thy clemency look down upon this household, humbly prostrate before Thee and imploring Thy mercy. Remember that this family belongs to Thee; for to Thee we have in a special way dedicated and devoted ourselves. Look upon us in Thy loving kindness; preserve us from danger; give us help in time of need, and grant us the grace to persevere to the end in the imitation of Thy Holy Family; that having revered Thee and loved Thee faithfully on earth, we may bless and praise Thee eternally in heaven. O Mary, most sweet Mother, to thy intercession we have recourse, knowing that thy Divine Son will hear thy prayers. And do thou, O glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, assist us by thy powerful mediation, and offer, by the hands of Mary, our prayers to Jesus. Amen. (This article is part of a series that will appear over the course of this year on the Monthly Devotions of the Church’s year). |
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June 2023
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