"And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)
"He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51)
The Pondering in her Heart of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is Contemplative Prayer par excellence. The Mother of our Lord said Yes to God, accepting the Son of God into her very flesh, participating in a physical way in the act of the Incarnation. In the face of all the things that happened to her in relation to her Son, she pondered. She did not doubt. She accepted Truth as it was spoken to her and in her. And yet, she reflected and she kept all that happened in her heart.
Light comes into darkness and the first streaks of dawn are seen by those who watch for it. Mary herself is the first soul to receive the fullness of salvation offered to all open to it by her Son. As she accepts Him, lives with Him, watches Him grow in wisdom and grace, she too grows. The Truth of Who He Is dawns upon her Faith.
Mary perseveres through the difficulties that come from opposition to her Son and she is with Him, still pondering, as He experiences His Passion. Her heart embraces Hope and she holds onto that Hope in the midst of the Disciples of her Son. As a Mother, she holds all her children in her heart and stays with them as they contemplate God's call in their lives as well.
The open, receptive, pondering heart of Mary is a reminder to all of the power of Prayer to accomplish great things. The heart pierced by a sword comes to understand the meaning of Suffering, and the thoughts of many hearts are laid bare, coming to a moment of Truth when it is acknowledged that All Things are Possible with God, and that only God's Grace can sustain us.
Mary's Fiat, from the Annunciation to the Pietà , flows from her Pondering Heart. May all her children learn from her to live in accord with God's Word, that His Will may be done in us.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper
On the night before He died, Jesus celebrated a moment with His disciples that served to establish a way of being with Him for the rest of Time. The Holy Eucharist gathered together into one simple ritual all that He had taught and all the He has lived with them, and became the most intimate manner of passing on to other all that was entrusted to the disciples. For all Time, the Presence of the Lord with His own will be most intensely experienced in the Eucharist.
It is an experience of unity. The One God makes known to us the truth that human nature and divine nature are wedded together in Christ. Jesus, Who longed to share this Supper with His disciples, makes them one with Him in the act of sharing the Passover. Past, Present and Future are brought together. Time and Eternity are linked. All who have prepared the way, all who are on the journey, and all who are to come are joined in a unity that is effected by the Spirit.
It is a sacred meal. It is an experience of Communion with God and with fellow believers. It joins together the simple sharing at table and the high ritual of Passover, calling for a sharing of life and hospitality. It brings to completion all the meals Jesus shared with His followers and the Signs He performed among them, revealing God's power to feed and nourish His People in Word and Sacrament.
It is a transformation of the material world into the bearer of Spirit. Transubstantiation of the substance of bread and wine into the Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, accomplishes the New Creation. This opens the way to the transformation of human beings that will enable us to enter into the Union of Love that is the Life of the Holy Trinity.
It is an experience of unity. The One God makes known to us the truth that human nature and divine nature are wedded together in Christ. Jesus, Who longed to share this Supper with His disciples, makes them one with Him in the act of sharing the Passover. Past, Present and Future are brought together. Time and Eternity are linked. All who have prepared the way, all who are on the journey, and all who are to come are joined in a unity that is effected by the Spirit.
It is a sacrifice. It begins for Jesus the final act of His pouring out His life for the salvation of the world. The New Covenant is made in the very act of giving over His Body and Blood, the act that would be consummated on the Cross. Its celebration makes present to all who experience it the saving Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord.
It is a sacred meal. It is an experience of Communion with God and with fellow believers. It joins together the simple sharing at table and the high ritual of Passover, calling for a sharing of life and hospitality. It brings to completion all the meals Jesus shared with His followers and the Signs He performed among them, revealing God's power to feed and nourish His People in Word and Sacrament.
It is a transformation of the material world into the bearer of Spirit. Transubstantiation of the substance of bread and wine into the Lord's Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, accomplishes the New Creation. This opens the way to the transformation of human beings that will enable us to enter into the Union of Love that is the Life of the Holy Trinity.
It is the Presence of the Lord in the Breaking of the Bread, the enduring sign of the Truth that in Jesus, God has "pitched His tent," that is "tabernacled" among us. Through the Holy Eucharist, the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, believers are invited to taste the Glory of Eternity even as we continue our journey through Time.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Trasfiguration
Our human nature is destined for greatness. We will share in the very glory of God. It has already begun to shine in our nature in the Person of Jesus Christ and in those who live in His Light. The Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor was a moment in time that was witnessed by human beings. It was a moment of intense prayer, when the Lord Himself was so thoroughly immersed in the Love of His Father and in the Truth of the Law and the Prophets that the Heavens opened. Moses and Elijah were with Him on the mountain, revealing that He is the fulfillment of their journeys, the unveiling of the Revelation that was given to them in many and various ways. The Father's Voice renewed the experience at the Baptism of the Lord: "This is My Beloved Son; Listen to Him."
Peter, James and John did not grasp the meaning of this encounter, but they knew that something profound had taken place. They had a glimpse of the Power at work in Jesus. This taste of glory was operating in them as they lived through the painful events of the Lord's Passion and Death. They came to understand something of its meaning when He rose from the dead. For us, it is a reminder that our human nature is destined for glory and, through Christ, is capable of it. We are, by grace, capax Dei, capable of being in union with God.
In the light of the Transfiguration, we experience hope. God's Plan include us as we are, human beings who share human nature with Jesus Christ. May our intuition of glory sustain us through the struggles of life in this world.
Peter, James and John did not grasp the meaning of this encounter, but they knew that something profound had taken place. They had a glimpse of the Power at work in Jesus. This taste of glory was operating in them as they lived through the painful events of the Lord's Passion and Death. They came to understand something of its meaning when He rose from the dead. For us, it is a reminder that our human nature is destined for glory and, through Christ, is capable of it. We are, by grace, capax Dei, capable of being in union with God.
In the light of the Transfiguration, we experience hope. God's Plan include us as we are, human beings who share human nature with Jesus Christ. May our intuition of glory sustain us through the struggles of life in this world.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Proclamation of the Kingdom & Call to Conversion
From the moment Jesus returned from the desert with its temptaions, He had two major subjects that He presented to any who would listen. First and foremost, He proclaimed the Kingdom of God. In His own Person, God was intervening in the world in such a way as to bring the Kingdom among us. Second, but equally important, He offered the opportunity to all who heard Him to a change of mind and heart. The Call to Conversion is a constant call to every human being. The only way to be open to the Kingdom is to change mind and heart to accommodate the Revelation of God.
God's ways and thoughts are above our ways and thoughts. The Kingdom of God, the gift of Eternity, is beyond anything this world can offer. In order for me to learn something of what God wants me to experience, I have to let go of what I already know and possess. Jesus invites me to enter His world. "Turn away from sin and believe the Good News." The beginning of Jesus' public ministry is found in this twofold message: the Kingdom and Conversion.
The hearts of those who approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation are already open to Jesus' double message. They are sincerely sorry for past sinful choices and they are ready to leave them behind. They are also ready for something new: a new way of being, new habits and behaviors that correspond to the gift of Mercy experienced in the Sacrament.
We are all invited to share Jesus' passion for the Kingdom and to call others to His Way of Life.
God's ways and thoughts are above our ways and thoughts. The Kingdom of God, the gift of Eternity, is beyond anything this world can offer. In order for me to learn something of what God wants me to experience, I have to let go of what I already know and possess. Jesus invites me to enter His world. "Turn away from sin and believe the Good News." The beginning of Jesus' public ministry is found in this twofold message: the Kingdom and Conversion.
The hearts of those who approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation are already open to Jesus' double message. They are sincerely sorry for past sinful choices and they are ready to leave them behind. They are also ready for something new: a new way of being, new habits and behaviors that correspond to the gift of Mercy experienced in the Sacrament.
We are all invited to share Jesus' passion for the Kingdom and to call others to His Way of Life.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Wedding Feast of Cana
A Wedding gathers family. Family grows, adding in new members, now related by marriage, and friends join in. A Mother is invited. Because she is there, her Son comes too. Having ventured out into the world, He now brings friends along--His disciples. They know that He is Someone important, but as yet, they have not seen all. In the midst of this celebration, there is a reminder that not everyone is always ready for all the guests. Who knew that there would be thirsty fishermen in the crowd? They have no wine.
The Mother tells her Son. It is not time, He says. She steps away, "Do whatever He tells you." It is time. He speaks a simple command: "Draw water." Moses struck the rock. Water flowed. Water abounds. He makes it Wine. Not just any Wine, but the best Wine. Beginning to attend to His every Word, His disciples discern something New. They see His Glory, for the first time. They begin to believe in Him.
Lack is not an obstacle. A Mother's Heart once again says "Yes" and lets it be. And the fullness of time arrives for Glory to be seen. No angels sing out. This time it is only human beings at a Wedding Feast. The Bridegroom makes Himself present to His Bride. Eyes that are attentive and Ears that are listening begin to grasp the deeper meaning. The Light shines forth and grace abounds.
How happy the Bride and Groom! It is a moment of joy and fulfillment. May we open our hearts to drink deeply of the New Wine.
The Mother tells her Son. It is not time, He says. She steps away, "Do whatever He tells you." It is time. He speaks a simple command: "Draw water." Moses struck the rock. Water flowed. Water abounds. He makes it Wine. Not just any Wine, but the best Wine. Beginning to attend to His every Word, His disciples discern something New. They see His Glory, for the first time. They begin to believe in Him.
Lack is not an obstacle. A Mother's Heart once again says "Yes" and lets it be. And the fullness of time arrives for Glory to be seen. No angels sing out. This time it is only human beings at a Wedding Feast. The Bridegroom makes Himself present to His Bride. Eyes that are attentive and Ears that are listening begin to grasp the deeper meaning. The Light shines forth and grace abounds.
How happy the Bride and Groom! It is a moment of joy and fulfillment. May we open our hearts to drink deeply of the New Wine.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Baptism of the Lord
At the moment of Jesus' Baptism by John in the Jordan, a manifestation of the Glory of the Lord and the Relationships of the Holy Trinity took place. The Scriptures make it clear that something truly mystical unfolded there. As the different Gospels present a description of what happened in that scene, it is evident that it affected all who were part of it in a profound way. Jesus was touched by it and went out into the desert for 40 days afterwards, returning to take up His public ministry. John the Baptist experienced a confirmation of his own ministry and a sense of the fulfillment for which he was looking. Bystanders saw a physical sign of the Presence of the Holy Spirit. The Father weighed in on the beginning of His Son's public ministry with the spoken affirmation of favor.
The Mystery of the Lord's Baptism points to the grace of Baptism as it is given to each Christian. There is a relationship with God, a Providential favor that is bestowed upon every son and daughter, adopted into the family of God through Baptism. The Presence and action of the Holy Spirit, although now hidden, is still very real. The humanity of Jesus first received the grace that would be poured out in time on all who believe in Him.
A call, a vocation, a ministry is entrusted to each human being who is open to receive the touch of grace. Assent in Faith to the invitation to be one with God through Jesus and to share God's Life and Love with the community of believers makes possible a public witness of relationship with God. The waters of the Jordan are a sign of the waters of Baptism that flows freely from the moment the Sacrament is received until they well up into Eternal Life.
The Mystery of the Lord's Baptism points to the grace of Baptism as it is given to each Christian. There is a relationship with God, a Providential favor that is bestowed upon every son and daughter, adopted into the family of God through Baptism. The Presence and action of the Holy Spirit, although now hidden, is still very real. The humanity of Jesus first received the grace that would be poured out in time on all who believe in Him.
A call, a vocation, a ministry is entrusted to each human being who is open to receive the touch of grace. Assent in Faith to the invitation to be one with God through Jesus and to share God's Life and Love with the community of believers makes possible a public witness of relationship with God. The waters of the Jordan are a sign of the waters of Baptism that flows freely from the moment the Sacrament is received until they well up into Eternal Life.
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