Consoling our Mother on First Saturday - today!

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This First Saturday holds special significance for me, since I have been pondering the Risen Jesus and our Mother Mary. I was greatly moved by the writing of St. Teresa of Avila, in her “Spiritual Testimonies” recorded in Vol. 1 of The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila (published by ICS) in which she recorded this description of Jesus’ words to her:

He told me that immediately after His resurrection He went to see Our Lady because she then had great need and that the pain she experienced so absorbed and transpierced her soul that she did not return immediately to herself to rejoice in that joy. By this I understood how different was this other transpiercing of my soul. But what must have been that transpiercing of the Blessed Virgin’s soul! He also said that He remained a long time with her because it was necessary to console her.

St. Teresa’s words reminded me of both Jesus’ and Mary’s words to Sister Lucia of Fatima:

Lucia was a postulant in the Convent of St. Dorothy in Pontevedra, Spain when she had the apparition of our Blessed Mother. She was standing over a cloud of light with the Child Jesus at her side. The Blessed Virgin put one hand on Lucia’s shoulder, while her other hand sustained her Immaculate Heart that was surrounded with thorns. The Child Jesus said: “Have compassion on the Heart of your Blessed Mother. It is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce each moment, and there is no one that is willing to offer an act of reparation to take the thorns away.”

Our Lady immediately said to Lucia: “Look, my daughter. My Heart is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce unceasingly with their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me and announce that for all those, who for five consecutive first Saturdays, confess, receive Holy Communion, pray the Holy Rosary and accompany me for15 minutes by meditating the mysteries of the Holy Rosary with the intention to do reparation, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with the graces needed for salvation.”

On this First Saturday, may we seek to console our Mother as Jesus gives us His example of consoling her – and as He said to Sister Lucia: "Have compassion on the Heart of your Blessed Mother. It is surrounded with thorns that ungrateful men pierce each moment, and there is no one that is willing to offer an act of reparation to take the thorns away"

 

[Greenfields]

Thank you Maria Christi

 

[MariaChristi]

Dear Greenfields,

Thanks for your reply and your love for our Mother Mary, which prompted it.

How can we ever thank God enough for His Love and all the Love He poured into Mary’s Maternal and Immaculate Heart!

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I just finished up my First Saturday devotions. I thought you might like this nice old book, MariaChristi, if you aren’t already aware of it.
It is a good book for First Saturday meditations. I found it via Google and have used it a few times for Rosary meditations or First Saturday meditations. I liked its insights. I like to try different ways of doing the 15-minute meditation, so sometimes I use Sister Lucia’s method and sometimes a book like this.

Rosary meditations for Fatima Saturday : Dooley, L. M. (Lester Martin), 1898- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

40 pages : 16 cm

archive.org

 

[MariaChristi]

Thanks, Tis_Bearself,

Yes, certainly God leads us in our desire to meditate, often by means of some good books. I looked at the link, and it does look helpful. Sister Lucia is a good and humble handmaid to help us grow closer to Mary and through Mary to Jesus. St. John Paul II is another whose love for our Mother can help ignite our own.

The words of St. Teresa were a tremendous help to me and continued with me today.

Most often, however, I find myself wanting to listen to God’s Word on a particular mystery or simply be quiet as I ponder what I have already heard in passages. More and more I ask the Holy Spirit to bring me into ALL Truth i.e. into the mind and heart of Jesus.

He is our Way, our Truth and our Life and Mary continues to bring us closer to Him. He came to console her – what a precious image that is to me!

Thanks again for your reply and for the link.