Blessed Mother’s Yes and Ours

Posted on March 27, 2014 by the Sisters

Mary’s “Yes” to her Vocation can Inspire us to Reply “Yes” to Ours

As we focus on our own vocations in life, let us remember the simple woman who responded perfectly to God’s call for her life! In fact, many parallels can be made between Mary’s calling and our own callings from God. In his homily given on the feast of the Annunciation, 1621, St. Francis de Sales preached on religious life:

“The dedication which young ladies make of their hearts to the Divine Majesty they would never have had the desire to make if the Sovereign Spouse of their souls had not drawn them and assisted them with His grace.”

Comparing religious life to Our Lady’s vocation,  St Francis says she was alone in her room when the Angel came to greet her and bring her the news of the Incarnation to take place within her. Likewise,

“What do religious do but remain in their cells and enjoy conversation with their Spouse.They retire into the depths of their hearts where they live in solitude”

Let us draw courage from Mary’s “Fiat”, to make our own “yes” to God’s will. Please read our article, “The Call at the Annunciation.”

For reflection:

  • At the Annunciation, God’s will was made know very clearly through Gabriel! Although our vocational callings are often more subtle, in what ways we can better open our ears – and hearts – to hear God’s will? Particularly in Lent, how can we answer God’s call?
  • Meditate on the scene which took place during the Annunciation. What emotions do you imagine Mary experiencing?
  • Shortly after the Annunciation, Mary travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who already knows the good news! Do we celebrate with joy once we recognize God’s call in our lives?


Come to our Living Jesus Chat Room, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time U.S. this Sunday. Sign up here and get your own username, or just come on Sunday and sign in as a guest.

 

 

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Jubilees!

Posted on March 24, 2014 by the Sisters

V+J

This Lenten week of March brings us TWO jubilees of our Sisters to celebrate!

Sister Mary Antonia has been Professed 57 years

and Sister Mary Cecilia has been professed 10 years.

May the Lord, the Spouse of their hearts and souls, enfold them in the warmth of His Sacred Heart.

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Lenten Retreats

Posted on March 22, 2014 by the Sisters

Refresh your soul before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, adore Him in the Monstrance, praise the Father in the Divine Office, petition Our Lady during the Rosary.

Make the Stations of the Cross in choir, Chapel or outdoors in the cloistered gardens.

Join the Sisters for meals and prayer.

Whether you are a married woman, single, a college student, working mom or Senior Citizen, you are welcome to a monastic Lenten retreat at the Brooklyn Visitation Monastery.

View our Retreat Video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOxKkvoCWVI

Call 718 745 5151 to make a reservation. For First-time retreatants, a letter of reference is required for an overnight stay.

 

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Vocation Discernment

Posted on March 20, 2014 by the Sisters

The Vocation Discernment Program is active and vibrant in our Monastery!

Just completing a 6 day visit was a young woman from Scotland. Upcoming retreats include two women from Queens, NY and a hopeful entrant next October from Kentucky.

Some inquirers from Connecticut and Florida have begun a more remote discernment journey with us.Our Brooklyn Monastery seems to be attracting women from many geographical areas.

Most central to our life is our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His blazing Love captures hearts!

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National Catholic Sisters Week

Posted on March 6, 2014 by the Sisters

The Joy of the Visitation Overflows in Our Lives


March 8 -14th is the newly designated National Catholic Sisters Week!

The purpose of this week is to increase awareness for religious Sisters:

“National Catholic Sisters Week is launching the second week of March as part of National Women’s History Month. It is intended to shine a national spotlight on the good works and good will of Catholic sisters. It recognizes past and present sisters, from the movers and shakers pressing the front lines of social change to the faithful praying in cloistered chapels.”

All religious orders find joy in living as brides of Christ, but as Visitation Sisters, joy is especially important to our order! The very story of the Visitation is one where John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb. Elizabeth welcomes Mary in joy, and in joy Mary sings her “Magnificat” of praise to God, her savior.

Please read our article, “Sisters Share the JOY of a Visitation Vocation”.

For reflection:

  • What are ways to recognize or honor Religious Sisters during National Catholic Sisters week? Are religious sisters often overlooked?
  • What is the significance of the Visitation? Why would an entire religious order be named after this event?
  • Look up the Canticle of Zechariah in Luke 1:68-79. What similarities do you see compared to Mary’s Magnificat Canticle?

 

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Preparing for Lent

Posted on March 2, 2014 by the Sisters

Lent: Fuel Up for the Rest of the Year


Ash Wednesday will soon be here, bringing us into the Lenten season.Traditionally, Catholics have practiced prayer, fasting, penance, and almsgiving during Lent as ways to grow closer to Christ, and better model their lives after him. Will this Lent be a fruitful one for you?

St. Francis de Sales writes,

“Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life during which we gather fruit to keep us going for the rest of the year. Enrich yourselves with these treasures, which nobody can take away from you and which cannot be destroyed. I am accustomed to say that we will not spend Lent well unless we are determined to make the most of it. Let us, therefore, spend this Lent as if it were our last, and we will make it well. Listen to the sermons, because holy words are pearls; they are ships of infinite mercy – the true ocean of the East.”

Indeed, he makes a good point that the four practices will not make us holy if our heart is not involved. In this excerpt from St. Francis’ sermon for Ash Wednesday, the saint reminds us,

“Prepare yourselves to fast with charity, for if your fast is performed without it, it will be vain and useless, since fasting, like all other good works, is not pleasing to God unless it is done in charity and through charity. When you discipline yourself, when you say long prayers, if you have not charity, all that is nothing. Even though you should work miracles, if you have not charity, they will not profit you at all.”

ASHES WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT VISITATION MONASTERY AT THE 7:30am MASS AND ALSO AT 9AM WITH THE CHILDREN OF VISITATION ACADEMY.

Check out our Free Salesian Courses for Lent!

Sign up for our Chat Room

Living Jesus Chat Room, Sunday 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time U.S.

 

 

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Vocation Brochure

Posted on February 9, 2014 by the Sisters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Year of Consecrated Life

Posted on February 4, 2014 by the Sisters

The Vatican and Pope Francis have designated October 2014-November 2015 at the Year for Consecrated Life.

The three objectives of the Year of Consecrated Life are: gratefully remembering the recent past, HOPE, and living the present passionately.

Our Brooklyn community will be planning to enter into this year in a welcoming spirit, and we will post the events and retreats that will represent our engagement with the Holy Father’s celebration of religious life.

Look for these notices as well as a deeper sharing of our Founders’ vision and charism in the months ahead!

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World Day for Consecrated Life Feb 2

Posted on January 30, 2014 by the Sisters

The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, February 2, 2014 is also dedicated as the World Day for Consecrated Life.

St. Francis de Sales spoke some of his thoughts about this Feast.

In his sermon on Feb. 2, 1622 this Founder of the Visitation Order of Holy Mary preached that,

“This mystery is admirably represented by the candles which we carry today.

The fire, which is the first and most excellent element in the candle, is a symbol of the Divinity. The other two elements of the candle, the wick and the wax, symbolize the soul and body of Our Lord.

Now the Divine Nature is so united and joined to the human nature and they form such a union and communion that God became man…”

Our Brooklyn Monastery  celebrates this day with deep and persistent prayer for those discerning their vocations to religious life.

At our 9AM Sunday Mass on this day, the Sisters, holding lighted candles, will process through the outer Chapel into the cloister as part of the ceremonial for this Feast. Join the Sisters and several women discerning their vocations,  for the Eucharistic Liturgy celebrated by a Redemptorist Father!

Wondering what other discerners have asked and how the Sisters answered? Read our free on line book on discernment,here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/348959

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Feast of St. Francis de Sales Jan. 24

Posted on January 24, 2014 by the Sisters

Today is the Feast of the Holy Founder of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary, St. Francis de Sales. Visitation Sisters around the world are united spiritually in deep gratitude for his life, his teachings, his “Living Jesus” and for our monastic vocations.

St. Francis de Sales was a spiritual guide for laity and religious alike, and is best known for his book The Introduction to the Devout Life which continues to guide followers of Jesus to holiness today.

He was also a Bishop, an eminent preacher, and is a Doctor of the Church.

We celebrate his Feast all throughout this day in our Monastery.

Our Liturgy of the Hours is sung with exquisitely composed chant melodies that raise our hearts and minds to deep appreciation of our saintly Founder and his love for God.

The early morning Mass, also with uniquely composed hymns, is celebrated by our parish priest who always comes prepared with deep reflections on St Francis de Sales and his relevant meaning in our lives.

To enhance our devotion, we place a first class relic of  St Francis in the center of the choir to be reverenced by each Sister as she enters.

Also each Sister receives a “legacy” from him; a special quote prepared earlier from his writings that she takes to heart and follows  throughout the day and year.

In the afternoon we expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration and in gratitude thank Jesus for all His gifts to us and the world through St Francis de Sales.

Our lively recreation includes talking at meals rather than the usual silence, with food often provided by benefactors.

Two Sisters in particular celebrate this day; as for one, it is her birthday, and the other her Feast day, so they receive cards and flowers at their place in the refectory.

Our evening recreation is equally as animated as we round out the day in community with joy!

 

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