Today is a day dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, the model of perfection,
because of her faultless humility. Today we honor her as the “The Mother of
Sorrows”. A woman of generosity, a generosity that goes beyond charity because
of selfless love. A woman that trusted in her God because of undaunted faith.
She is the definition of
the word trust, as we know it is said of her in Scripture, “And Mary kept all
these things reflecting on them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). She always said yes to
her God!
And that same faith
manifested by her cousin, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to
you by the Lord would be fulfilled”
A beautiful woman who said “Yes” and then with that trust and humility
and her loving heart placed the needs of her cousin ahead of her own almighty
annunciation. Mary had faith.
Saint Alphonsus Liguori says, that the most
holy Virgin had more faith than all men and Angels. She saw her Son in the crib
of Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world.
She saw Him born and believed Him eternal. She
saw Him poor and in need of food, and believed Him the Lord of the universe.
She heard Him weep, and believed Him the joy of Paradise.
And
yes, she saw Him in death, despised and crucified, and, although faith wavered
in others, Mary remained firm in the belief that He was God.
On these words of the Gospel, their stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother. "Mary stood, supported by her faith."
On these words of the Gospel, their stood by the Cross of Jesus His Mother. "Mary stood, supported by her faith."
And her faith is the faith we all seek. Her faith is the pillar of
strength that when we imitate her, becomes our strength as well. And that
strength provides the stepping stones to receive all the other virtues of our
Blessed Mother, that model of perfection.
Helping her older cousin wasn’t the only thing on her mind while
traveling by caravan to see Elizabeth. There was the danger. But there was also
the possibility she would need to explain her own condition at some point, if
not to Elizabeth, but to Joseph.
How would her family respond? But there was that “yes” she said to God,
yes, to be the Mother of Jesus.
That yes allows her to place her entire life in God’s hands. A Trust we
can all pray for.
Yes, Mary was strong and whatever fears she had were washed away when
she finally met Elizabeth and they embraced, both filled with inexplicable joy.
At this singular meeting, law gives way to promise, ancient prophecy meets
divine fulfillment, and the old bows to the new.
Suddenly, Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and recognizes Mary
as the vessel of God’s salvation. Not with bitterness or envy, but with
rejoicing, acknowledging and granting the higher place to Mary, and she shouts
with joy, “The Mother of my Lord”.
And Mary, humbly accepted the honor to her by Elizabeth and turned it
immediately to the Lord whom her soul magnified.
With faith, the quiet and youthful Mary entered the unknown. With that
same faith and trust in God, Mary brought grace and abounding joy in coming to
celebrate her cousin’s good fortune.
The love, and graciousness friendship between Mary and Elizabeth invites
us to examine these virtues in our own lives. Do we reach out to others? Is there a fear that prevents us
from taking the next step, maybe even into the unknown? Is it the faith we
desire, but the faith we sometimes lack.
So many times God asks each of us to "cast out into the deep",
enter the unknown, just like He did with Mary. And when He challenges us we
must imitate Mary’s trust, Mary’s unshakable faith, move forward knowing He is
with us every step of our journey.
Mary carried Jesus within her body.
We too receive Christ into our body in Holy Communion. Today, let us
praise the Lord for all He has done in our lives and for all that He has
blessed us with, and for that he will wants to do if we allow him to live in
our heart. He has mercy on those who fear Him.
Let us praise the Lord as Mary did and ask her for a faith fortified
with love in her Son Jesus. Our Lady of
Sorrows, pray for us
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