Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Lectionary: 441/639
Lectionary: 441/639
Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our savior
and of Christ Jesus our hope,
to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
and of Christ Jesus our hope,
to Timothy, my true child in faith:
grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord,
because he considered me trustworthy
in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man,
but I have been mercifully treated
because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant,
along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 16:1B-2A AND 5, 7-8,
11
R. (see 5) You
are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Sequence
(Optional) — Stabat Mater
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother's pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent.
O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give.
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.
Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day.
Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. (Alleluia)
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh, how sad and sore distressed
Was that Mother highly blessed
Of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs,
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son.
Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that mother's pain untold?
Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,
She beheld her tender Child,
All with bloody scourges rent.
For the sins of his own nation
Saw him hang in desolation
Till his spirit forth he sent.
O sweet Mother! font of love,
Touch my spirit from above,
Make my heart with yours accord.
Make me feel as you have felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ, my Lord.
Holy Mother, pierce me through,
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Savior crucified.
Let me share with you his pain,
Who for all our sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.
Let me mingle tears with you,
Mourning him who mourned for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the cross with you to stay,
There with you to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of you to give.
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.
Let me to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of yours.
Wounded with his every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In his very Blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In his awful judgment day.
Christ, when you shall call me hence,
Be your Mother my defense,
Be your cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally.
Amen. (Alleluia)
Alleluia
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;
without dying you won the martyr's crown
beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary;
without dying you won the martyr's crown
beneath the Cross of the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 19:25-27
Standing by 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 there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary Magdalene.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."
Then he said to the disciple,
"Behold, your mother."
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
"Behold, this child is destined
for the fall and rise of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be contradicted
and you yourself a sword will pierce
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."
Meditation: "Standing by the cross of
Jesus"
Does suffering or sorrow weigh you down? The cross
brings us face to face with Jesus' suffering. He was alone. All his disciples
had deserted him except for his mother and three women along with John, the
beloved disciple. The apostles had fled in fear. But Mary, the mother of Jesus
and three other women who loved him were present at the cross. They demonstrate
the power of love for overcoming fear (1 John 4:18).
Love sustains us in hope through
griefs and trials
At the beginning of Jesus' birth, when he was presented in the temple, Simeon had predicted that Mary would suffer greatly - a sword will pierce through your own soul (see Luke 2:33-35). Many have called Mary a martyr in spirit. Bernard of Clairvaux said: "[Jesus] died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his." Mary did not despair in her sorrow and loss, since her faith and hope were sustained by her trust in God and the love she had for her Son.
At the beginning of Jesus' birth, when he was presented in the temple, Simeon had predicted that Mary would suffer greatly - a sword will pierce through your own soul (see Luke 2:33-35). Many have called Mary a martyr in spirit. Bernard of Clairvaux said: "[Jesus] died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his." Mary did not despair in her sorrow and loss, since her faith and hope were sustained by her trust in God and the love she had for her Son.
The love of Christ enables us to bear all things
Jesus, in his grief and suffering, did not forget his mother. He entrusted her care to John, as well as John to her. No loss, no suffering can keep us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). Paul the Apostle says that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:3). We can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross. Do you know the love that enables you to bear your cross and to endure trial and difficulties with faith and hope in God?
Jesus, in his grief and suffering, did not forget his mother. He entrusted her care to John, as well as John to her. No loss, no suffering can keep us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). Paul the Apostle says that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:3). We can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross. Do you know the love that enables you to bear your cross and to endure trial and difficulties with faith and hope in God?
"Lord Jesus Christ, by your death on the cross
you have won pardon for us and freedom from the tyranny of sin and death. May I
live in the joy and freedom of your victory over sin, condemnation, and
death."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Mary stood at the cross with her Son Jesus,
by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"Mary, the mother of the Lord,
stood by her Son's cross. No one has taught me this but the holy Evangelist
John. Others have related how the earth was shaken at the Lord's passion, the
sky was covered with darkness, the sun withdrew itself (Matthew 27:45) and how
the thief was, after a faithful confession, received into paradise (Luke
23:43). John tells us what the others have not told, how the Lord while fixed
on the cross called to his mother. He thought it was more important that,
victorious over his sufferings, Jesus gave her the offices of piety than that
he gave her a heavenly kingdom. For if it is the mark of religion to grant
pardon to the thief, it is a mark of much greater piety that a mother is
honored with such affection by her Son. 'Behold,' he says, 'your son.'
...'Behold your mother.' Christ testified from the cross and divided the
offices of piety between the mother and the disciple...
"Nor was Mary below what was becoming the mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood at the cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son's wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that 'royal hall' [Mary as bearer of the divine King] knew that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper for the redemption of all, who saved all without a helper. This is why he says, 'I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help' (Psalm 88:4-5). He received indeed the affection of his mother but sought not anothers help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son." (excerpt from LETTER 63.109–11)
"Nor was Mary below what was becoming the mother of Christ. When the apostles fled, she stood at the cross and with pious eyes beheld her Son's wounds. For she did not look to the death of her offspring but to the salvation of the world. Or perhaps, because that 'royal hall' [Mary as bearer of the divine King] knew that the redemption of the world would be through the death of her Son, she thought that by her death she also might add something to that universal gift. But Jesus did not need a helper for the redemption of all, who saved all without a helper. This is why he says, 'I am counted among those who go down to the pit. I am like those who have no help' (Psalm 88:4-5). He received indeed the affection of his mother but sought not anothers help. Imitate her, holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of maternal virtue. For neither have you sweeter children, nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son." (excerpt from LETTER 63.109–11)
FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 15, JOHN 19:25027 or LUKE 2:33-35
(1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14; Psalm 16)
KEY VERSE: "Woman, behold your son" (v.26).
(1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14; Psalm 16)
KEY VERSE: "Woman, behold your son" (v.26).
TO KNOW: For the second time in John's gospel Jesus addressed his mother as "woman" (see Wedding at Cana, John 2:4). This unusual title goes back to the first promise of redemption: "I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman" (Eve, Gn 3:15). John sees Mary as the "new Eve" whose obedience to God reversed the penalty due to sin, and her son as the "new Adam" who opened wide the gates of salvation by his saving death. On Calvary, Satan was crushed through the death of Mary's offspring. When Jesus gave his life for us, he also gave us his mother. Mary stood at the cross with John, the beloved disciple, who represents all Christians who seek salvation in Christ. Simeon's prophecy that Mary would "be pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare" (Lk 2:35) was fulfilled on Calvary. She was the suffering mother of the Church, which was about to be born. Mary is the role-model for all believers. Imitating her dispositions for humility, faithfulness, and praise equip all Christians for full ministry in the Church.
TO LOVE: Have I made a home in my heart for Mary?
TO SERVE: Mary my mother, help me to accept both the pain and triumph of the cross as you did.
Memorial of
Our Lady of Sorrows
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows was originally granted to the Order of the Servants of Mary in 1667. It was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1814 and assigned to the third Sunday in September. In 1913 the date of the feast was assigned to September 15.
Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
Pray one Hail Mary while meditating on each of the Seven Sorrows of Mary:
1. The prophecy of Simeon.
2. The flight into Egypt.
3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple.
4. Mary meeting Jesus carrying His Cross.
5. The Crucifixion.
6. Mary receiving the Body of Jesus from the Cross.
7. The Body of Jesus being placed in the tomb.
Then pray three Hail Mary's in remembrance of the tears Mary shed because of the suffering of Her Divine Son. Concluding prayers: Pray for us, O Most Sorrowful Virgin, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ Lord Jesus, we now implore, both for the present and for the hour of our death, the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother, whose Holy Soul was pierced during Your Passion by a sword of grief. Grant us this favor, O Savior of the world, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Friday 15
September 2017
Our Lady of Sorrows.
1 Timothy
1:1-2, 12-14. Psalm 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-8, 11. Luke 6:39-42.
You are my
inheritance, O Lord — Psalm 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-8, 11.
‘Rejoice
when you share in the sufferings of Christ.’
When Mary said ‘yes’ to accepting
God’s will and plan for salvation, her fiat, I wonder if she realised the pain
and suffering she would endure as the mother of Christ, witnessing the cruelty
of his Passion and death. Today, the Church recognises her pain as we celebrate
the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion recognises the seven sorrows of
Our Lady, often depicted in religious artwork as seven swords piercing a
mournful Mary’s heart. This imagery comes from the first ‘sorrow’ when Simeon
prophesied to Our Lady, saying:
‘Behold this child is destined for
the ruin and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign of contradiction; and
your own soul a sword will pierce.’
Mother Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows,
pray for us and comfort us in our own times of distress.
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the
seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to Her Son, as they are
recorded in the Gospels or through Tradition. Today we are invited to reflect
on Mary's deep suffering:
1. At the prophecy of Simeon: "You yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Luke 2:35).
2. At the flight into Egypt; "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt." (Mt 2:13).
3. Having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem; "You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow." (Luke 2:48).
4. Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
5. Standing at the foot of the Cross; "Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother." (John 19:25).
6. Jesus being taken from the Cross;
7. At the burial of Christ.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, there were two feasts devoted to the sorrows of Mary. The first feast was insitituted in Cologne in 1413 as an expiation for the sins of the iconoclast Hussites. The second is attributed to the Servite order whose principal devotion are the Seven Sorrows. It was institued in 1668, though the devotion had been in existence since 1239 - five years after the founding of the order.
1. At the prophecy of Simeon: "You yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Luke 2:35).
2. At the flight into Egypt; "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt." (Mt 2:13).
3. Having lost the Holy Child at Jerusalem; "You see that your father and I have been searching for you in sorrow." (Luke 2:48).
4. Meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary;
5. Standing at the foot of the Cross; "Near the cross of Jesus there stood His mother." (John 19:25).
6. Jesus being taken from the Cross;
7. At the burial of Christ.
Prior to the Second Vatican Council, there were two feasts devoted to the sorrows of Mary. The first feast was insitituted in Cologne in 1413 as an expiation for the sins of the iconoclast Hussites. The second is attributed to the Servite order whose principal devotion are the Seven Sorrows. It was institued in 1668, though the devotion had been in existence since 1239 - five years after the founding of the order.
LECTIO DIVINA: OUR LADY OF
SORROWS
Lectio Divina:
Friday, September 15, 2017
Ordinary
Time
John
19,25-27
1) Opening prayer
Almighty God,
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
our creator and guide,
may we serve you with all our hearts
and know your forgiveness in our lives.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - John 19,25-27
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.
Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
3) Reflection
• Today, feast of Our Sorrowful Mother,
the Gospel of the day presents the passage in which Mary, the Mother of Jesus
and the Beloved Disciple, meet at Calvary before the Cross. The Mother of Jesus
appears two times in the Gospel of John: at the beginning at the wedding feast
in Cana (Jn 2, 1-5), and at the end, at the foot of the Cross (Jn 19, 25-27).
These two episodes, only present in John’s Gospel, have a very profound value.
The Gospel of John compared to the other three Gospels, is like an X-Ray of the
other three, while the other three are only a photograph of what has taken
place. The X rays of faith help to discover in the events dimensions which the
human eye does not succeed to perceive. The Gospel of John, besides describing
the facts, reveals the symbolical dimension which exists in them. Thus, in both
cases, at Cana and at the foot of the Cross, the Mother of Jesus represents
symbolically the Old Testament waiting for the New Testament to arrive, and in
the two cases, she contributes to the arrival of the New Testament. Mary
appears like the step between what existed before and that which will arrive
afterwards. At Cana she symbolizes the Old Testament; she perceives the limits
of the Old Testament and takes the initiative so that the New one arrives. She
tells her Son: “They have no wine!” (Jn 2, 3). And in Calvary? Let us see:
• John 19, 25: The women and the Beloved Disciple, together at the foot of the Cross. This is what the Gospel says: “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala”. The “photograph” shows the mother together with the Son, standing up. A strong woman, who does not allow herself to be discouraged. “Stabat Mater Dolorosa!” Hers is a silent presence which supports the Son in his gift of self up until death, and the death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). But the “X-Ray” of faith shows how the passage from the Old Testament to the New Testament takes place. Like it happened in Cana, the Mother of Jesus represents the Old Testament, the new humanity which is formed beginning from the lived experience of the Gospel of the Kingdom. At the end of the first century, some Christians thought that the Old Testament was no longer necessary. In fact, at the beginning of the second century, Marciones rejected all the Old Testament and remained with only a part of the New Testament. This is why many wanted to know which was the will of Jesus regarding this.
• John 19, 26-28: The Testament or the Will of Jesus. The words of Jesus are significant. Seeing his Mother, and at her side the beloved Disciple, Jesus says: “Woman, this is your son”. Then he says to the disciple: “This is your mother”. The Old and the New Testament must walk together. The request of Jesus, the beloved Disciple, the son, the New Testament, receives the mother in his house. In the house of the Beloved Disciple, in the Christian community, the full sense of the Old Testament is discovered. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old one, neither is the Old one complete without the New one. Saint Agustin said: “Novum in vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”. (The New one is hidden in the Old one. The Old one blooms in the New one). The New one without the Old one would be a building without a foundation. And the Old one without the New one would be like a fruit tree which could not bear fruit.
• Mary in the New Testament. The New Testament speaks very little about Mary and she says even less. Mary is the Mother of silence. The Bible only keeps seven words of Mary. Each one of those is like a window which allows one to see inside Mary’s house and to discover how her relationship with God was. The key to understand all this is given by Luke: “Blessed are those who receive the word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 11, 27-28).
1st Word: “How can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” (Lk 1, 34).
2nd Word: “You see before you the Lord’s servant; let it happen to me as you have said”. (Lk 1, 38).
3rd Word: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1, 46-55).
4th Word: “My child why have you done this to us? Your father and I were worried looking for you” (Lk 2, 48).
5th Word: “They have no wine!” (Jn 2, 3.)
6th Word: “Do whatever he tells you!” (Jn 2, 5).
7th Word: The silence at the foot of the Cross, more eloquent than one thousand words! (Jn 19, 25-27).
• John 19, 25: The women and the Beloved Disciple, together at the foot of the Cross. This is what the Gospel says: “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala”. The “photograph” shows the mother together with the Son, standing up. A strong woman, who does not allow herself to be discouraged. “Stabat Mater Dolorosa!” Hers is a silent presence which supports the Son in his gift of self up until death, and the death on the cross (Ph 2, 8). But the “X-Ray” of faith shows how the passage from the Old Testament to the New Testament takes place. Like it happened in Cana, the Mother of Jesus represents the Old Testament, the new humanity which is formed beginning from the lived experience of the Gospel of the Kingdom. At the end of the first century, some Christians thought that the Old Testament was no longer necessary. In fact, at the beginning of the second century, Marciones rejected all the Old Testament and remained with only a part of the New Testament. This is why many wanted to know which was the will of Jesus regarding this.
• John 19, 26-28: The Testament or the Will of Jesus. The words of Jesus are significant. Seeing his Mother, and at her side the beloved Disciple, Jesus says: “Woman, this is your son”. Then he says to the disciple: “This is your mother”. The Old and the New Testament must walk together. The request of Jesus, the beloved Disciple, the son, the New Testament, receives the mother in his house. In the house of the Beloved Disciple, in the Christian community, the full sense of the Old Testament is discovered. The New Testament cannot be understood without the Old one, neither is the Old one complete without the New one. Saint Agustin said: “Novum in vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet”. (The New one is hidden in the Old one. The Old one blooms in the New one). The New one without the Old one would be a building without a foundation. And the Old one without the New one would be like a fruit tree which could not bear fruit.
• Mary in the New Testament. The New Testament speaks very little about Mary and she says even less. Mary is the Mother of silence. The Bible only keeps seven words of Mary. Each one of those is like a window which allows one to see inside Mary’s house and to discover how her relationship with God was. The key to understand all this is given by Luke: “Blessed are those who receive the word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 11, 27-28).
1st Word: “How can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” (Lk 1, 34).
2nd Word: “You see before you the Lord’s servant; let it happen to me as you have said”. (Lk 1, 38).
3rd Word: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour (Lk 1, 46-55).
4th Word: “My child why have you done this to us? Your father and I were worried looking for you” (Lk 2, 48).
5th Word: “They have no wine!” (Jn 2, 3.)
6th Word: “Do whatever he tells you!” (Jn 2, 5).
7th Word: The silence at the foot of the Cross, more eloquent than one thousand words! (Jn 19, 25-27).
4) Personal questions
• Mary at the foot of the Cross. A
strong and silent woman. How is my devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus?
• In the Pieta of Michelangelo, Mary seems to be very young, younger than the crucified Son, and she must have been about fifty years old. Asked why he had sculptured the face of Mary as a young girl, Michelangelo replied: the persons who are passionate for God never age!” Passionate for God! Is that passion for God in me?
• In the Pieta of Michelangelo, Mary seems to be very young, younger than the crucified Son, and she must have been about fifty years old. Asked why he had sculptured the face of Mary as a young girl, Michelangelo replied: the persons who are passionate for God never age!” Passionate for God! Is that passion for God in me?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh, what quantities of good things
you have in store
for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see.
Safe in your presence you hide them,
far from human plotting. (Ps 31,19-20)
for those who fear you,
and bestow on those who make you their refuge,
for all humanity to see.
Safe in your presence you hide them,
far from human plotting. (Ps 31,19-20)
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