Apr. 21 - Important options to ponder

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Tuesday of the Second Week after Easter is also the Memorial of St. Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church - thus two options for the Mass Readings, and much to ponder. As the first disciples listened with Mary to what Jesus taught, so must we. By God’s Grace, we need to receive the Word of God, by the power of His Holy Spirit as Mary kept all, in order to do the Truth she heard.

In Tuesday’s Reading from Acts we hear:

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind…

In the optional Reading we hear:

I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
that He may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Tuesday’s Gospel continues Jesus’ words to Nicodemus:

…Amen, amen, I say to you,
we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen,
but you people do not accept our testimony.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Gospel option:

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
’I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

In these days after Easter we learn from the Scriptures that the Risen Jesus was teaching His disciples many things. So too the Church gives us Words and Works of Jesus to learn how our New Life in Christ needs to be lived. It is important for us to Listen to Jesus as Mary did, and ponder all in our hearts. By God’s Grace, we need to live the Truth we hear.

Come Holy Spirit! Jesus, we trust in You! Mary Mother of the Church pray for us.

 

[hazcompat]

Thanks to Mary, the universe rejoices with indefinable loveliness​

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night—everything that is subject to the power or use of man—rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendor by men who believe in God. The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.

Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.

Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.

From a sermon by Saint Anselm, bishop
(Oratio 52: PL 158, 955-956)

Read more on mariedenazareth.com:​

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Cath and QuietTrad,

Thanks for your “hearts” which let us know you read the beautiful words of Scripture and appreciate the example of Mary, our Mother and Model who listened to all Jesus said and pondered all in her heart. This phrase from Ephesians 3, in the optional Reading, today, reminded me of Mary’s standing beneath the Cross of Christ:

…to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,

By His Grace, we too can ask for and receive Christ’s strength through faith:

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted and grounded in love,
may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear hazcompat,

Thanks for the quote from St. Anselm, whose Memorial we celebrate today and also thanks for the lovely image of Mary. Ah Yes, she is Our Lady of Grace and as His Hands were outstretched on the Cross to save us, so now her arms are toward us to embrace us all as her children. Her hands are open wide to let All His Graces flow through her, to share His Life with her children!

“O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in Your servants, in the spirit of Your holiness, in the fullness of Your power, in the perfection of Your ways, in the truth of Your virtues, in the communion of Your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in Your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.” – Prayer of Fr. Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear QuietTrad,

Thanks again for your “heart” which speaks to us of your love for Jesus living in Mary. St. Louis de Montfort was greatly influenced by the Sulpician teachers in his Seminary days. 1645, Olier founded the Society of St. Sulpice, which established seminaries throughout France that became known for their moral and academic teaching. For more on Fr. Olier see HERE

This prayer of Fr. Olier which I posted is a favorite of mine. It is a prayer easily memorized and can be prayed often during the day. Of course, we need to remember in any prayer not just to say the words but to pray with attention and devotion. We need to remember Jesus words from the Sermon on the Mount:

…Jesus said to his disciples:
" Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?
Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
’I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock…( Mt. 7:21-24)