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Master of the Hours of Maréchal de Boucicaut Book of Hours of Maréchal de Boucicaut, 1405-08. Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris Gospel Luke 1:39-45 ( NRV – Catholic Ed ., Can.) In those days, Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” The Visitation , El Greco, 1610-13 Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC About eight years ago I celebrated Mass on the Feast of the Visitation in a home for girls where most come from

Gospel   Mark 12:38-44 [or 12:41-44]  ( NRSV, CatholicEd , Can)  [As Jesus taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,   and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!  They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” ] Jesus sat   down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.    A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.    Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Head of a Peasant Woman with Greenish Lace Cap , Van Gogh, 188

The Ascension of Christ , Rembrandt,1636 , Munich [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Mark 16:15-20  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Canada)  Jesus said to his disciples:  “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news   to the whole creation.   The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned.   And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;   they will pick up snakes i n their hands,   and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.   And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. In Regions where the Solemnity is observed on Asc

The Crucifixion , El Greco, 1596-1600 Museo del Prado, Madrid    Gospel: John 19:25-27 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”   Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Simeon with the Infant Jesus in the Temple , Rembrandt, 166 Alternative Gospel: Luke 2:33-35 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.   Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed   so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows , Adr iaen Isenbrant, 1518-35 O

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death Christ Before Pilate   Tintoretto,  1566-67,  Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice Around the judgement seat are grouped a motley crowd. Men and women of every rank, the high-born Jewish maiden, the rough Samaritan woman; haughty Scribes and proud Pharisees mingle with the common loafer of the great city. Hatred has united them all for one common object; hatred of One Who ever loves them and to their wild fury has only opposed acts of gentle kindness. A mighty scream goes up, a scream of fierce rage and angry fury, such a sound as only could be drawn from the very depths of hell. “Death to Him! Death to the false prophet!” He has spent His life among you doing good – Let Him die! He has healed your sick, given strength to the palsied, sight to your blind – Let Him die! He has raised your dead – Let death be His fate! Second Station: Jesus takes up His cross Christ Carrying the Cross El Greco, 1600-05, Museo del Prado, Madrid

The Annunciation , El Greco, 1595-1600 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word. Fr Donnchadh Ó Floinn (1902 - 1968) was a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin who wrote 201 short meditations in Irish Gaelic for  The Far East , the monthly magazine of the Columbans in Ireland, from March 1949 till April 1967. In 2003 they were published by Foilseacháin Ábhair Spioradálta, which specializes in spiritual books in Irish and is run by the Jesuits, under the title  Aibhleoga Crábhaidh ,  ‘Sparks of Devotion’ . Fifty of these had come out in book form before under the same publisher in 1957 with the title  Caoga Árdú Meanman , which could be translated as  'Fifty Raisings of the Spirit’ . The editor of  Aibhleoga Crábhaidh  was Fr Iognáid Ó Maoleachlainn of the Diocese of Ardagh