#15 - St.JPII's Meditation on Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

July 16 is the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which is not a “major Feast” but is a special day to me personally. I’m so grateful to God for the Saints of Carmel who helped me to love Jesus and Mary through their examples and their writings: St. John of the Cross, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Edith Stein, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity – all have a tender love for Jesus through Mary. St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux wrote poems which are among my favorites. Thank You, Lord, for your Gift of Jesus through Mary and for all our brothers and sisters saints who continue to help us as we journey home.

Help us now to continue St.JPII’s “Meditation on Mary” from Mulieris Dignitatem. The concluding words of section 19. on Motherhood in relation to the Covenant the Covenant are these:

…As we contemplate this Mother, whose heart “a sword has pierced” (cf. Lk 2: 35), our thoughts go to all the suffering women in the world, suffering either physically or morally. In this suffering a woman’s sensitivity plays a role, even though she often succeeds in resisting suffering better than a man. It is difficult to enumerate these sufferings; it is difficult to call them all by name. We may recall her maternal care for her children, especially when they fall sick or fall into bad ways; the death of those most dear to her; the loneliness of mothers forgotten by their grown up children; the loneliness of widows; the sufferings of women who struggle alone to make a living; and women who have been wronged or exploited. Then there are the sufferings of consciences as a result of sin, which has wounded the woman’s human or maternal dignity: the wounds of consciences which do not heal easily. With these sufferings too we must place ourselves at the foot of the Cross.

But the words of the Gospel about the woman who suffers when the time comes for her to give birth to her child, immediately afterwards express joy: it is “the joy that a child is born into the world”. This joy too is referred to the Paschal Mystery, to the joy which is communicated to the Apostles on the day of Christ’s Resurrection: “So you have sorrow now” (these words were said the day before the Passion); “but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16: 22-23).

We all suffer in this world, but can we not offer all to Jesus through Mary? Can we not stand with Mary spiritually at the foot of His Cross and offer ourselves with Jesus through Mary, knowing that the promises of Jesus are aways True! As Pope St. John Paul II reminds us and I underlined in the quote above for emphasis: “So you have sorrow now; but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”

Jesus, Joy of Mary’s Heart and our Joy awaiting us that we may be one with You eternally, we trust in You!