St. Elizabeth, Cousin of Mary (Feast Day November 5)

First Century

May 31 is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It recalls the time when the Blessed Mother visited Elizabeth. Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist, and Mary was pregnant with Jesus. Elizabeth, a daughter of the line of Aaron, and the wife of Zechariah, was "righteous before God" but childless and well beyond child-bearing age. The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that Elizabeth would have a son, and they should name him John. When Mary visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth's baby leaped in her womb! Jesus made John leap with joy, and Elizabeth, in turn, was filled with the Holy Spirit and addressed words of praise to Mary—words that echoed down through the ages in the Hail Mary prayer.

·      On Pentecost, we hear about the Holy Spirit enabling the apostles to speak in different languages. If you could speak any language, what language would you want to speak? 

·      Jesus greets his friends by wishing them peace. In what way do you bring peace to your friends, families, classmates, or co-workers?

·      Why did Jesus breathe on his disciples?

·      What do you think it would be like to be visited by Mary?

Visit a Relative or Someone Who Needs Help

Just as Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, visit a relative whom you haven’t seen in a while. If you don’t have a relative who is nearby, visit a neighbor or someone from church and, as a family, help them with a project at their home. If they don’t have a project to work on, spend time visiting, or take a craft project to do with them.

Red Velvet Butter Cookies

Red is the liturgical color of Pentecost. Treat your family with this delicious recipe!

½ cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 large egg

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 package Red Velvet Cake Mix

½ cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until the mixture is fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla. Mix until fully combined. Add the cake mix and continue to mix until a thick dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips. Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Form 1-inch dough balls and roll in the powdered sugar to coat. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust the cookies with powdered sugar.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

This prayer is prayed on Pentecost, just before the proclamation of the Gospel. It is a tribute to the Holy Spirit and dates to around the year 1200. As a family, pray it together, whether you all read it aloud or take turns reading parts. 

Come, Holy Spirit, come!

And from your celestial home

Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor!

Come, source of all our store!

Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best;

You, the soul’s most welcome guest;

Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;

Grateful coolness in the heat;

Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,

Shine within these hearts of yours,

And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught,

Nothing good in deed or thought,

Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;

On our dryness pour your dew;

Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;

Melt the frozen, warm the chill;

Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore

And confess you, evermore

In your sevenfold gift descend;

Give them virtue’s sure reward;

Give them your salvation Lord;

Give them joys that never end. Amen.

Alleluia.

Red is the liturgical color of Pentecost. Where do you see red at Mass today? 

For the next week, invite each family member to pray exclusively to the Person of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the week share about your experience.

Memorial Day honors the women and men who have died while serving in the US military. It became an official federal holiday in 1971, even though it started after the Civil War.