Ijournal entry 061217 #23 June, Month of the Sacred Heart. The Rule of St. Benefict. Quotes by St. Katharine Drexel, Teresa Hawes, and Fr. Thomas Dubay. Article: “Discovering Mary from within", by Teresa Hawes. Article: "Jesus is taken down from the cross and given back to his mother", by Blessed Marie Eugene of the Child Jesus. Video presentation: "The call to live as consecrated lay members in the Church today", by Teresa Hawes.
“I salute thee, O Sacred Heart of Jesus, living and vivifying source of eternal life, infinite treasure of the Divinity, ardent furnace of Divine love; Thou art the place of my repose and my refuge. Enkindle in my heart the fire of that ardent love with which Thine own is all inflamed; pour into my heart the great graces of which Thine is the source, and grant that my heart may be so closely united to Thine, that Thy will may be mine, and that my will may be eternally conformed to Thine, since I desire that henceforth Thy holy will may be the rule of all my desires and all my actions. Amen.” By St. Gertrude
The Rule of St. Benedict
"The twelfth degree of humility is that a monk should not only be humble of heart, but should also in his behaviour always manifest his humility to those who look upon him. That is to say that whether he is at the work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the fields, or anywhere else, and whether sitting, walking or standing, he should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. Let him constantly say in his heart what was said with downcast eyes by the publican in the Gospel: Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to raise mine eyes to heaven. And again with the prophet: I am bowed down and humbled on every side.1 Then, when all these degrees of humility have been climbed, the monk will presently come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear: whereby he will begin to observe without labour, as though naturally and by habit, all those precepts which formerly he did not observe without fear; no longer for fear of hell, but for love of Christ and through good habit and delight in virtue. And this will the Lord deign to show forth by the power of his Spirit in his workman now cleansed from vice and from sin"
MC= Monk, layman, priest, Pope, man, woman, or whoever, all should be pondering the guilt of our sins. To me, if we realize what great transgressors we are against our God who mercifully deals with us and blesses us immensely day in and day out, we will grow in love for Him. We will be motivated to want to change more and more tone pleading in His sight. Realizing all we have done, how much we are forgiven and loved, and how His lavish provisions extends into eternity, we'll want to be the best that we can be. Far from sinking our spirits, such meditation will spur us on to greatness, seems so to me.
"The twelfth degree of humility is that a monk should not only be humble of heart, but should also in his behaviour always manifest his humility to those who look upon him. That is to say that whether he is at the work of God, in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the fields, or anywhere else, and whether sitting, walking or standing, he should always have his head bowed and his eyes downcast, pondering always the guilt of his sins, and considering that he is about to be brought before the dread judgement seat of God. Let him constantly say in his heart what was said with downcast eyes by the publican in the Gospel: Lord, I a sinner am not worthy to raise mine eyes to heaven. And again with the prophet: I am bowed down and humbled on every side.1 Then, when all these degrees of humility have been climbed, the monk will presently come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear: whereby he will begin to observe without labour, as though naturally and by habit, all those precepts which formerly he did not observe without fear; no longer for fear of hell, but for love of Christ and through good habit and delight in virtue. And this will the Lord deign to show forth by the power of his Spirit in his workman now cleansed from vice and from sin"
MC= Monk, layman, priest, Pope, man, woman, or whoever, all should be pondering the guilt of our sins. To me, if we realize what great transgressors we are against our God who mercifully deals with us and blesses us immensely day in and day out, we will grow in love for Him. We will be motivated to want to change more and more tone pleading in His sight. Realizing all we have done, how much we are forgiven and loved, and how His lavish provisions extends into eternity, we'll want to be the best that we can be. Far from sinking our spirits, such meditation will spur us on to greatness, seems so to me.
🌑 "The patient and humble endurance of the cross—whatever nature it may be—is the highest work we have to do". By St. Katharine Drexel
💭 "God is there, in the shadows so to speak,patiently waiting for the right moment to propose His plan for our personal happiness. Apparently insignificant small acts can acquire a universal dimension if we carry them out faithfully and with love. It's precisely this faithfulness and love put into these tiny little “nothings” that make us flexible, open and welcoming, as Mary was. She was ready for anything. She agreed 2change her plans for her life; she let herself be overwhelmed by the interruption of God into her life. What about us? When we perceive God’s call, His will for us, are we capable of changing our plans for our life, ready to answer this call? Do we want to?" By Teresa Hawes
⭕️ "While St. Teresa was well acquainted with methods of meditation and wished her young nuns to be instructed in them, she emphatically insisted that the primary need for beginners is not to find the ideal method but to do God’s will from moment to moment throughout the day—which is probably the last thing the beginner thinks is primary. Her thought is strong and unambiguous: ‘The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer—and don’t forget this, because it is very important—should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every effort to bring his will in conformity with God’s will’. She then adds that ‘it is the person who lives in more perfect conformity who will receive more from the Lord and be more advanced on this road of prayer". By Fr. Thomas Dubay
💭 "God is there, in the shadows so to speak,patiently waiting for the right moment to propose His plan for our personal happiness. Apparently insignificant small acts can acquire a universal dimension if we carry them out faithfully and with love. It's precisely this faithfulness and love put into these tiny little “nothings” that make us flexible, open and welcoming, as Mary was. She was ready for anything. She agreed 2change her plans for her life; she let herself be overwhelmed by the interruption of God into her life. What about us? When we perceive God’s call, His will for us, are we capable of changing our plans for our life, ready to answer this call? Do we want to?" By Teresa Hawes
⭕️ "While St. Teresa was well acquainted with methods of meditation and wished her young nuns to be instructed in them, she emphatically insisted that the primary need for beginners is not to find the ideal method but to do God’s will from moment to moment throughout the day—which is probably the last thing the beginner thinks is primary. Her thought is strong and unambiguous: ‘The whole aim of any person who is beginning prayer—and don’t forget this, because it is very important—should be that he work and prepare himself with determination and every effort to bring his will in conformity with God’s will’. She then adds that ‘it is the person who lives in more perfect conformity who will receive more from the Lord and be more advanced on this road of prayer". By Fr. Thomas Dubay
The daily meditations all began with a recent trip home. My uncle Ray gave me this unique medal of the Pieta, it was my first time seeing a medal like that.
My friend Cathy so identifies with the Pieta, so you would think the medal would have been offered to her, but not that mortified yet. Working on sainthood, but boy, ever so slow. If that was her, she would have offered it to me. It sure is a good thing God is surrounding me with many good examples of people growing in their faith and exhibiting authentic Christian behavior, because maybe more and more good things will rub off. Shelley and Bernadine were the inspirations in regards to daily Eucharistic Adoration. My Uncle Ray and the family inspires towards generosity and kindness, and Clara is a great inspiration to live selfless. Linda is so dedicated to ministry, and Claudia is very interested in growing and avoiding becoming stagnant. Milton is interested is interested in the contemplative life and truly saving souls, a true bibliophile. Mr. Lloyd have grown from a dwarf to a giant in a decade, it's amazing to see how much improvement he has made, he's like a sponge soaking up the spiritual. Talking about growing, Ricky's feet are hitting the ground and he is seriously running the race. That makes me want to be sure not to be found resting on the sidelines. This list will conclude with Mae, who is the most influential person that sets an example that inspires living life in communion with Lord always attentive to our errors that so saddens His heart. She is a pro at that, exciting to see her in action. The list concludes, but not the others known by God, that are influencing me as we travel along the highway to heaven, thank you people of God, thank you so much. It's about keeping it real, so it must be mentioned how this works in reverse. There are some people whose serves as examples of how not to act. It's to pray for them and pray for myself that our actions do not lead others away from God, rather than towards Him.
Well, hope you can take a little time and see what Scripture says about the company we keep.
Well, hope you can take a little time and see what Scripture says about the company we keep.
📖Proverbs 13:20. "He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm"
📖1 Corinthians 5:11 "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one"
📖Proverbs 14:7 "Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
📖Psalm 26:4-5 "I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked"
📖Psalm 1:1-4 "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers&
📖Proverbs 22:24-25 "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself"
📖Proverbs 1:10-11 "My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;"
📖Proverbs 4:14-15 "Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on"
📖Proverbs 16:29 "A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good"
📖Proverbs 28:7 "He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father"
📖Micah 6:16 "The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people."
📖Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."
📖2 Corinthians 6:14-15 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?"
📖Ephesians 5:7 "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;"
📖Ephesians 5:11 "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;"
📖2 Thessalonians 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us"
📖1 Timothy 5:22 "Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin"
📖1 Timothy 6:5 "and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain"
📖Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;"
📖Revelation 18:4 "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;"
A trinity of meditations:
🤔Meditation Day 1
Looking at the medal, thoughts are coming that we are to see the people around us, especially those who are aggravating or unpleasant, as in Christ with His eyes. Because of their brokenness, remembering we to are so wounded in some form or fashion, we should place them on our laps and look down upon all with mercy. It's to bath them with healing prayers, being filled with compassion and sorrow, instead of with impatience, and other non virtuous sentiments. The way for success is through our Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, with St. Joseph at her side, and the Divine spouse, the Holy Spirit. It will then be possible for Jesus to do what is necessary in us by the operant power of the Holy Spirit.
🤔Meditation Day 2
As we look with the eyes of our Blessed Lady down upon the people crossing our path, we do well to ask for mercy for the other as for ourselves. It is evident that the mercy of God is not an either/or thing. It encompasses and reaches all alike, and in a capacity that does marvels in lives, maybe not right away, but surely in due season. Like a seed we must patiently wait in order to experience the sweetest on the fruits ripened by our tears of sorrow as we behold the broken or disordered situations. In addition when casting our downward gaze, we must not fail to call to mind this fact: there go I except for the grace of God. On our lap we behold a prisoner, one held captive by darkness in some form which is producing behavior that is not in accord with the light of Christ Jesus. We endure, we hope, and we pray for this all to shall pass, and why? Because weeping endureth for the night, but joy cometh in the morning, that is the morning of a life that is lived in, through, and with Jesus
📖1 Corinthians 5:11 "But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one"
📖Proverbs 14:7 "Leave the presence of a fool, Or you will not discern words of knowledge.
📖Psalm 26:4-5 "I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked"
📖Psalm 1:1-4 "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers&
📖Proverbs 22:24-25 "Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself"
📖Proverbs 1:10-11 "My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, "Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause;"
📖Proverbs 4:14-15 "Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on"
📖Proverbs 16:29 "A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good"
📖Proverbs 28:7 "He who keeps the law is a discerning son, But he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father"
📖Micah 6:16 "The statutes of Omri And all the works of the house of Ahab are observed; And in their devices you walk Therefore I will give you up for destruction And your inhabitants for derision, And you will bear the reproach of My people."
📖Romans 16:17 "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them."
📖2 Corinthians 6:14-15 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?"
📖Ephesians 5:7 "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;"
📖Ephesians 5:11 "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;"
📖2 Thessalonians 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us"
📖1 Timothy 5:22 "Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin"
📖1 Timothy 6:5 "and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain"
📖Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;"
📖Revelation 18:4 "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;"
A trinity of meditations:
🤔Meditation Day 1
Looking at the medal, thoughts are coming that we are to see the people around us, especially those who are aggravating or unpleasant, as in Christ with His eyes. Because of their brokenness, remembering we to are so wounded in some form or fashion, we should place them on our laps and look down upon all with mercy. It's to bath them with healing prayers, being filled with compassion and sorrow, instead of with impatience, and other non virtuous sentiments. The way for success is through our Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, with St. Joseph at her side, and the Divine spouse, the Holy Spirit. It will then be possible for Jesus to do what is necessary in us by the operant power of the Holy Spirit.
🤔Meditation Day 2
As we look with the eyes of our Blessed Lady down upon the people crossing our path, we do well to ask for mercy for the other as for ourselves. It is evident that the mercy of God is not an either/or thing. It encompasses and reaches all alike, and in a capacity that does marvels in lives, maybe not right away, but surely in due season. Like a seed we must patiently wait in order to experience the sweetest on the fruits ripened by our tears of sorrow as we behold the broken or disordered situations. In addition when casting our downward gaze, we must not fail to call to mind this fact: there go I except for the grace of God. On our lap we behold a prisoner, one held captive by darkness in some form which is producing behavior that is not in accord with the light of Christ Jesus. We endure, we hope, and we pray for this all to shall pass, and why? Because weeping endureth for the night, but joy cometh in the morning, that is the morning of a life that is lived in, through, and with Jesus
🤔Day 3
Like a mother's compassion poured out upon her child, the whole world, all of humanity, is the lap of the our FatherGod. We are receiving compassion by day and by night . He knows that we are made of dust, therefore we have His support 100%. For what He has created, He is for us and not against.
He is the wind beneath our wings, the rock upon which we stand and not the rock in which to dash our feet.
Let us be confident and know without a doubt that in all situations we are in good hands, mercy protects and leads us on. Sometimes when things are rough let we be aware that we positioned on the lap of Our Father. What is then needed is to take heart for refreshment and revitalization will be ours in abundance as we walk through the valley of tears, headed to the Promised Land.
Within the week, thumbing through a book entitled: "Mary", by Martina Degl' Innocenti and Stella Marinone, the at random page turned to was
"The Pieta". This was interpreted as a confirmation for my veggie entry. The picture in the book was this one: The Pieta by Sofonisba Anguissola
Within the week, thumbing through a book entitled: "Mary", by Martina Degl' Innocenti and Stella Marinone, the at random page turned to was
"The Pieta". This was interpreted as a confirmation for my veggie entry. The picture in the book was this one: The Pieta by Sofonisba Anguissola
So hear is an except from the book for your personal meditation:
Here, she mourns her son privately in one last, intimate goodbye. Her face, sometimes drawn, sometimes lined with tears, expresses all the mother's love. Piety joins to love in these representations. The Madonna strokes, contemplate, and kisses her Son's body, as if to steal a memory in which the dead Christ was represented in the forms of his mother. of his human existence. Sometimes the body of the 33 year old Christ is out of scale, smaller than the mother's. In fact, one touching incongruity of this composition is that Mary can physically hold up her son's lifeless body. The image of the Pieta began to appear in the 14th century it probably originated in northern European wood sculptures of group known as VESPERBILD, in which the dead Christ dead was represented in the arms of His mother"
“Discovering Mary from within", by Teresa Hawes
Info from this site:
http://www.ourladyoflifeinstitute.org/forums/open-forum-prayer/discovering-mary-within-122912-morning-talk
"Blessed John Paul II, commenting on the Rosary, said: 'In order to enter into the contemplation of the Face of Christ, we need to listen in the Spirit to the Father’s voice: prayerful silence affords the appropriate framework for this.' Such was Mary’s experience. From her childhood on, as would any Jewish child, Mary learned to become God’s child in prayer and silence. Mary aspires with her whole being toward the fulfillment of God’s will. That’s why she is ready to answer yes when the angel asks her to become the Mother of Jesus. She is Mother of Christ, therefore Mother of God, which leads her to becoming the Mother of all mankind. As Christ’s siblings, we are called to become her children. Developing our intimacy with Mary will help us deepen our relationship with Christ. In this perspective: “To Jesus through Mary”, we would like to enliven our memory of Our Mother together. Let’s follow God and Mary in the Annunciation Gospel:
Info from this site:
http://www.ourladyoflifeinstitute.org/forums/open-forum-prayer/discovering-mary-within-122912-morning-talk
"Blessed John Paul II, commenting on the Rosary, said: 'In order to enter into the contemplation of the Face of Christ, we need to listen in the Spirit to the Father’s voice: prayerful silence affords the appropriate framework for this.' Such was Mary’s experience. From her childhood on, as would any Jewish child, Mary learned to become God’s child in prayer and silence. Mary aspires with her whole being toward the fulfillment of God’s will. That’s why she is ready to answer yes when the angel asks her to become the Mother of Jesus. She is Mother of Christ, therefore Mother of God, which leads her to becoming the Mother of all mankind. As Christ’s siblings, we are called to become her children. Developing our intimacy with Mary will help us deepen our relationship with Christ. In this perspective: “To Jesus through Mary”, we would like to enliven our memory of Our Mother together. Let’s follow God and Mary in the Annunciation Gospel:
Whenever God manifests Himself, there are shadows. That was the case for the Israelites when God accompanied them out of Egypt in a luminous cloud. These shadows are no accident; they comprise the atmosphere that goes with God’s manifestations. God’s transcendence makes us perceive Him as surrounded by shadows, in other words our minds cannot comprehend everything. The Virgin Mary remained in the darkness of faith. Yes, she lived in this darkness, these shadows. That is where God is at work. However He does give Mary deep peace, and reassures her through the angel’s words: “Fear not”. In our daily lives, too, just as in Mary’s, God is present beyond our understanding and most often beyond our awareness. We don’t feel His presence, but he is there.
In the Annunciation Gospel, we can see how available Mary is: “May it be done to me according to your word”. This attitude of soul, this disposition of total and unconditional self-offering requires preparation. First of all, Mary was prepared by God’s grace as the Immaculate Conception, and also by all the small daily acts that she carried out perfectly and lovingly. God’s action comes first in the fulfillment of our happiness; nonetheless God requires our collaboration, as if He didn’t want to do anything without us. In our daily lives, too, our up-bringing and education, our encounters, our successes and perhaps even more our failures, prepare us to be available to God’s will. God is there, in the shadows so to speak, patiently waiting for the right moment to propose His plan for our personal happiness. Apparently insignificant small acts can acquire a universal dimension if we carry them out faithfully, with love. And it is precisely this faithfulness and love put into these tiny little “nothings” that make us flexible, open and welcoming, as Mary was. She was ready for anything. She agreed to change her plans for her life; she let herself be overwhelmed by the irruption of God into her life. What about us? When we perceive God’s call, His will for us, are we capable of changing our plans for our life, ready to answer this call? Do we want to?
Aware of her poverty, her nothingness, for we can say she received her grace of the Immaculate Conception before she even existed, “He has looked upon His humble servant.” She is utterly humble. FME teaches: “Mary’s holiness consists in a state of soul such that she has to ask the Holy Spirit for everything at every moment, we could say she is suspended on His help, convinced that without His grace she can do nothing…” There you have Mary’s prayer, calling on the Holy Spirit, and our prayer needs to be the same, for just like Mary we need to wait for and expect everything from God and act as though everything depended on us. Mary adheres to God’s will without hesitating. She surrenders to God’s plan. Mary’s act of faith reaches all the way to God, releases as it were God’s Love which is His Son (JVVD, p. 334). Mary’s fiat, her yes, bore fruit for all of humanity. That is how she became the Mother of God.
From the Annunciation on, Mary carried the Word of God within her for nine months. FME explains: “Mary discovers the marvels enclosed in her womb. Her entire being is drawn toward her son and there is one single reality that exists for her: God within her. She plunges into that reality, all the more so as anxiety surrounds her, the anxiety of suspicions that are forming and that she can sense. . . So she wraps herself completely in God, waiting in faith. She is so close to God’s mystery. Nonetheless she remains surrounded by dark shadows. How could she get a clear grasp on this mystery of love? This mystery can only be expressed by faith. Silent, peacefully silent and gathered in, while faithfully carrying out her ordinary duties, she feels the need to cloak herself in silence.” At certain times of our lives, we too experience this solitude when faced with reactions to decisions we have made for reasons nobody can comprehend. Why not gaze at Mary in this mystery of her waiting for her son? Let’s nestle close to her, silently, to offer everything up to God, to ask Him for the light we need, for peace and perseverance. FME tells us: “A silent shadow in the night, Mary creates a gentle atmosphere without doing away with suffering; she creates a dim light without dissipating the darkness. She is our mother, totally mother and nothing else but mother.”
Indeed, Mary’s fiat made her the Mother of Christ and the Mother of men, His brothers. During the Christmas Season, it is good for us to be reminded of this fundamental truth: God loves human beings so much! Despite His creatures’ repeated failings, God has always wanted to bring us back to Himself. That is why Christ came into the world through Mary. That’s the way it will always be. Christ always comes among us through Mary. She gives birth to Him in us, and nurtures His life in us; that is her role as Mother. She nurtures God’s grace, His life place within us as a seed of eternal life. She protects this life within us. She watches attentively over each one of her children, she intercedes for their needs and their anxieties without their even knowing, as she did at Cana. There the bride and bridegroom were in an embarrassing situation because there wasn’t enough wine at their wedding reception.
God has entrusted her with this maternal role so she can be the instrument of His mercy. Because of her unconditional and constant self-giving, Mary’s influence on God’s heart is so strong that her intercession obtains everything she asks for. This is also because her will is in tune with God’s will. Jesus’ work is her own, her Son’s apostles and disciples are her own. She draws us toward God. This is the way she makes the Body of Christ which we form, grow until it reaches its perfect size. Here is FME’s description: “Mary excels in intervening without disturbing the fulfillment of God’s plan, without diminishing the saving power of His light, or the efficacy of His action. She does however intervene; but her manifestations are so delicately subtle, so tender! There may be an apparently chance coincidence, a sudden calming, a perception, an encounter, something insignificant in appearance, but in which the soul recognizes with certitude the action, the smile, the perfume, and so the presence of its Mother […].A real intimacy is thus established between Mary and the soul […].”
She has this maternal role in our lives, and we too as her children should learn how to show her our love. How can this be done? How would you do it? Some suggestions: by honoring her Son, asking for her help, which shows we trust her, entrusting ourselves to her, spending time with her in prayer, turning to her for help in entering deeper into God’s mystery, imitating her by keeping God’s Word in our hearts, doing what the beloved disciple did: taking her under our roofs, into our spiritual lives, dwelling with her at every moment of our lives
In the Annunciation Gospel, we can see how available Mary is: “May it be done to me according to your word”. This attitude of soul, this disposition of total and unconditional self-offering requires preparation. First of all, Mary was prepared by God’s grace as the Immaculate Conception, and also by all the small daily acts that she carried out perfectly and lovingly. God’s action comes first in the fulfillment of our happiness; nonetheless God requires our collaboration, as if He didn’t want to do anything without us. In our daily lives, too, our up-bringing and education, our encounters, our successes and perhaps even more our failures, prepare us to be available to God’s will. God is there, in the shadows so to speak, patiently waiting for the right moment to propose His plan for our personal happiness. Apparently insignificant small acts can acquire a universal dimension if we carry them out faithfully, with love. And it is precisely this faithfulness and love put into these tiny little “nothings” that make us flexible, open and welcoming, as Mary was. She was ready for anything. She agreed to change her plans for her life; she let herself be overwhelmed by the irruption of God into her life. What about us? When we perceive God’s call, His will for us, are we capable of changing our plans for our life, ready to answer this call? Do we want to?
Aware of her poverty, her nothingness, for we can say she received her grace of the Immaculate Conception before she even existed, “He has looked upon His humble servant.” She is utterly humble. FME teaches: “Mary’s holiness consists in a state of soul such that she has to ask the Holy Spirit for everything at every moment, we could say she is suspended on His help, convinced that without His grace she can do nothing…” There you have Mary’s prayer, calling on the Holy Spirit, and our prayer needs to be the same, for just like Mary we need to wait for and expect everything from God and act as though everything depended on us. Mary adheres to God’s will without hesitating. She surrenders to God’s plan. Mary’s act of faith reaches all the way to God, releases as it were God’s Love which is His Son (JVVD, p. 334). Mary’s fiat, her yes, bore fruit for all of humanity. That is how she became the Mother of God.
From the Annunciation on, Mary carried the Word of God within her for nine months. FME explains: “Mary discovers the marvels enclosed in her womb. Her entire being is drawn toward her son and there is one single reality that exists for her: God within her. She plunges into that reality, all the more so as anxiety surrounds her, the anxiety of suspicions that are forming and that she can sense. . . So she wraps herself completely in God, waiting in faith. She is so close to God’s mystery. Nonetheless she remains surrounded by dark shadows. How could she get a clear grasp on this mystery of love? This mystery can only be expressed by faith. Silent, peacefully silent and gathered in, while faithfully carrying out her ordinary duties, she feels the need to cloak herself in silence.” At certain times of our lives, we too experience this solitude when faced with reactions to decisions we have made for reasons nobody can comprehend. Why not gaze at Mary in this mystery of her waiting for her son? Let’s nestle close to her, silently, to offer everything up to God, to ask Him for the light we need, for peace and perseverance. FME tells us: “A silent shadow in the night, Mary creates a gentle atmosphere without doing away with suffering; she creates a dim light without dissipating the darkness. She is our mother, totally mother and nothing else but mother.”
Indeed, Mary’s fiat made her the Mother of Christ and the Mother of men, His brothers. During the Christmas Season, it is good for us to be reminded of this fundamental truth: God loves human beings so much! Despite His creatures’ repeated failings, God has always wanted to bring us back to Himself. That is why Christ came into the world through Mary. That’s the way it will always be. Christ always comes among us through Mary. She gives birth to Him in us, and nurtures His life in us; that is her role as Mother. She nurtures God’s grace, His life place within us as a seed of eternal life. She protects this life within us. She watches attentively over each one of her children, she intercedes for their needs and their anxieties without their even knowing, as she did at Cana. There the bride and bridegroom were in an embarrassing situation because there wasn’t enough wine at their wedding reception.
God has entrusted her with this maternal role so she can be the instrument of His mercy. Because of her unconditional and constant self-giving, Mary’s influence on God’s heart is so strong that her intercession obtains everything she asks for. This is also because her will is in tune with God’s will. Jesus’ work is her own, her Son’s apostles and disciples are her own. She draws us toward God. This is the way she makes the Body of Christ which we form, grow until it reaches its perfect size. Here is FME’s description: “Mary excels in intervening without disturbing the fulfillment of God’s plan, without diminishing the saving power of His light, or the efficacy of His action. She does however intervene; but her manifestations are so delicately subtle, so tender! There may be an apparently chance coincidence, a sudden calming, a perception, an encounter, something insignificant in appearance, but in which the soul recognizes with certitude the action, the smile, the perfume, and so the presence of its Mother […].A real intimacy is thus established between Mary and the soul […].”
She has this maternal role in our lives, and we too as her children should learn how to show her our love. How can this be done? How would you do it? Some suggestions: by honoring her Son, asking for her help, which shows we trust her, entrusting ourselves to her, spending time with her in prayer, turning to her for help in entering deeper into God’s mystery, imitating her by keeping God’s Word in our hearts, doing what the beloved disciple did: taking her under our roofs, into our spiritual lives, dwelling with her at every moment of our lives
"Jesus is taken down from the cross and given back to his mother", by Blessed Fr. Marie Eugene
Info from this site:
www.ourladyoflifeinstitute.org/blog/obedient-14-jesus-taken-down-cross-and-given-back-his-mother
Info from this site:
www.ourladyoflifeinstitute.org/blog/obedient-14-jesus-taken-down-cross-and-given-back-his-mother
"You are dead, O Jesus, but your divinity remains alive, it has followed your soul and it remains in your body. O Jesus, Fastened and dead on the cross, we adore you. The moments pass; hours, perhaps; you are on the cross, the scribes and pharisees, the chief priests come to contemplate their work and enjoy their triumph. The holy women are there . . . What is happening? What are they doing? Joseph of Arimathea has gone to Pilate to claim the body; there are official procedures, perhaps lengthy. At last, after some hours, it is annonced that Pilate has given the body to Joseph of Arimathea.
But before that, he wants to be sure that Jesus is dead. In fact the thieves are not yet dead; and the soldiers come (for the Sabbath is approaching) in order to break the legs of the victims and precipitate death. Jesus, himself, is dead, and the centurion carelessly, in order to ensure this death, pierces his side with a lance. Water and blood spurt out. Yes, he is really dead, John witnesses to it; he has seen the thrust of the lance, he has seen the blood and water, symbols of life which henceforth will flow from the heart of Jesus.
Who should receive him save Mary, standing at the foot of the cross, who now sits down a moment to receive the body on her lap . . .? She examines this body which belongs to her, as only a mother could do. She does not count the wounds, but measures their depth and searches out the place of each. How sorrowful each one must have made her! these wounds on the face and head, this lance which transpierced the heart . . .
O Mary, what a sorrowful exploration! And your sentiments remained the same. The word he spoke: "Behold your mother", has dilated and enlarged your heart; it has deposited a grace there, painful as every childbirth takes place in pain. But it has also planted in your soul and in your heart, a new love, singularly developed. a love without apparent object, that goes out to the whole world. And this love urges you, O Mary, to accept the exchange, so to speak, of Jesus dead, of the life of Jesus, for the souls given to you, all souls, the whole Mystical Body. The life of the Mystical Body will henceforth spring from Jesus, but through you.
O Mary, I thank you for your acceptance, I congratulate you on the new maternal grace you have recived. You are my mother, you are our mother. We almost forgot Jesus' body, to look at you, to share in your suffering, and above all, to share in your maternal triumph.
How great you are, O Mary, almost as great humanly as your son Jesus. The executioners and Satan, bungling, ignornat, drunk with their triumpg, forget you. They have killed the Son and they leave the Mother, the fruitful mother, the mother of our souls, the mother of the Church.
We greet you, O Mary, in your triumph; we salut you, Mother of Life, Our Lady of Life. Grant that we may be truly your children, living like your Son, living like you."
But before that, he wants to be sure that Jesus is dead. In fact the thieves are not yet dead; and the soldiers come (for the Sabbath is approaching) in order to break the legs of the victims and precipitate death. Jesus, himself, is dead, and the centurion carelessly, in order to ensure this death, pierces his side with a lance. Water and blood spurt out. Yes, he is really dead, John witnesses to it; he has seen the thrust of the lance, he has seen the blood and water, symbols of life which henceforth will flow from the heart of Jesus.
Who should receive him save Mary, standing at the foot of the cross, who now sits down a moment to receive the body on her lap . . .? She examines this body which belongs to her, as only a mother could do. She does not count the wounds, but measures their depth and searches out the place of each. How sorrowful each one must have made her! these wounds on the face and head, this lance which transpierced the heart . . .
O Mary, what a sorrowful exploration! And your sentiments remained the same. The word he spoke: "Behold your mother", has dilated and enlarged your heart; it has deposited a grace there, painful as every childbirth takes place in pain. But it has also planted in your soul and in your heart, a new love, singularly developed. a love without apparent object, that goes out to the whole world. And this love urges you, O Mary, to accept the exchange, so to speak, of Jesus dead, of the life of Jesus, for the souls given to you, all souls, the whole Mystical Body. The life of the Mystical Body will henceforth spring from Jesus, but through you.
O Mary, I thank you for your acceptance, I congratulate you on the new maternal grace you have recived. You are my mother, you are our mother. We almost forgot Jesus' body, to look at you, to share in your suffering, and above all, to share in your maternal triumph.
How great you are, O Mary, almost as great humanly as your son Jesus. The executioners and Satan, bungling, ignornat, drunk with their triumpg, forget you. They have killed the Son and they leave the Mother, the fruitful mother, the mother of our souls, the mother of the Church.
We greet you, O Mary, in your triumph; we salut you, Mother of Life, Our Lady of Life. Grant that we may be truly your children, living like your Son, living like you."
Video presentation: "The call to live as consecrated lay members in the Church today", by Teresa Hawes
Info from this site:
fpdl.vimeocdn.com/vimeo-prod-skyfire-std-us/01/747/6/153737780/474099490.mp4?token=1496938035-0x18e7956d86e10cba35a7ed3723ef589b1bb3bb8c&download=1&filename=Jubilee+of+Mercy+Spotlight+-+Our+Lady+of+Life.mp4
Info from this site:
fpdl.vimeocdn.com/vimeo-prod-skyfire-std-us/01/747/6/153737780/474099490.mp4?token=1496938035-0x18e7956d86e10cba35a7ed3723ef589b1bb3bb8c&download=1&filename=Jubilee+of+Mercy+Spotlight+-+Our+Lady+of+Life.mp4