Vol5 No.29 DoM Easter E Message
Spiritual Gift of the Week
May we, like Mary, strive for obedience and perfect faith during this Easter season.
Spiritual Instruction of the Week,
Pray and meditate on Mary’s faith.
“Mary would have been the first to share in the joy of her Son’s Resurrection”(John Paul II)
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Dear Beautiful Daughters of Mary,
Let us imagine Easter morning with Mary. Let us be with her on the morning of the third day….She has suffered for her Son. She has suffered with her Son. The wounds of her own suffering will never leave her. But now He has Risen!
Mary expected that her Son’s Cross would benefit many. Jesus himself, at the Last Supper, said that it would (Mt.26:28). Mary did not however anticipate what would happen within her own heart at Easter. Mary did not expect the “fire of the New Magnificat,” (Adrienne von Speyr). But it happened!
The Resurrection hears Mary’s ‘Yes’ in full bloom. The Resurrection elicits a ‘fiat’ on fire—a new season, the Spring, of her assent. The Church is prepared and planted by her son. Her role is to bring her son’s work into full bloom. Her mission is to maintain it’s beauty, it’s flowering; and not just with his apostles, in the earliest days—-but also, with us—in 2016—as her daughters—in our day!
Mary is Mother, teacher, housekeeper, gardener—the consummate homemaker! We are her daughters. If we turn to her as Mother—we must also turn toward her tasks—to her mission. We love our earthly mothers—we follow their lead and help with their tasks. In the same way, we love Mary ‘ever more.’ Not only do we love her—but also—‘ever more’ —we follow her lead and help with her tasks.
In his Church, Jesus is glorified. The word glory, (doxa in Greek), refers to an intuitive sense of what has value—what is worthy—what is intrinsically worthy—what is good and beautiful. To give glory to God is to praise the worthiness, the goodness, the beauty of God’s presence. Mary asks us to give glory to God’s presence on earth. She directs us to see the glory of the Risen Son of God. Finally, also, she asks us to help tend his home and garden! Would we as daughters refuse our mother’s request?
It was difficult for Mary, during Jesus’ earthly life—to witness his suffering—suffering endured for our sake, and for the sake his mother. Jesus knows this and does not refuse his mother’s requests, (Jn 2:4). Through his forgiveness of our sin and his Eucharistic presence, he tends to his Church, his garden, the home he left in his Mother’s care.
For Mary, life continues to be difficult, because Jesus continues to suffer—even as the Resurrected Christ. But now, also, Christ continues His glorious, joy filled work—with ‘ever more’ joy, ‘ever more’ glory. ‘Ever more’ because we participate in him, with him and through him—and with his mother. ‘Ever more” because now we encounter his presence, alive and at work, in and through his Church, and in our own hearts.
We pray to unite with Mary in ‘the fire of the New Magnificat.” We pray her prayer—not only with thoughts of Christ’s birth—but also, with thoughts of our rebirth in Christ at Easter—our birth as Mary’s daughters. We are a worthy, good and beautiful garden of glory—for Christ resurrected and for his mother!
Yes, let us imagine Easter morning with Mary. She sees the Son in all his glory! And her ‘Yes” is joyfully, gloriously renewed. Her “Yes” is resounding—a ‘fiat’ on fire! Mary knows that her assent will keep her Son’s resurrected presence alive and at work—in his Church, the Body of Christ on earth. Her ‘fiat’ now points to her vocation as Mother of Christ resurrected and Mother of Christ’s Church. But also, her ‘fiat’ points to us, her daughters!
Let us pray…Mary, Mother of Christ, our Mother, be with us that we may also say ‘Yes’ to your Son, through the power of His Spirit. Let us grow with you, the garden of Christ’s Body, his Church, on earth— Let it happen within us. May we speak each day the fire and newness of your prayer—“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…”
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Easter Proclamation
Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God’s throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
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A thought for Easter from Pope Francis during this Year of Marcy
“Let us, then, pass through the Holy Door of Mercy knowing that at our side is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God, who intercedes for us,” “Let us allow her to lead us to the rediscovery of the beauty of an encounter with her Son Jesus. Let us open wide the doors of our heart to the joy of forgiveness, conscious that we have been given new confidence and hope, and thus make our daily lives a humble instrument of God’s love.”
Veni, Spirito Santo, la misericordia di Dio ci salva—Come Holy Spirit, it is by God’s mercy that we are saved,
Deb
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