Continuing to ponder "Redemptoris Mater"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I began re-reading St. JP II’s Encylical “Redemptoris Mater” (On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church") last Saturday, and continue today:

1. The circumstance which now moves me to take up this subject once more is the prospect of the year 2000, now drawing near, in which the Bimillennial Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ at the same time directs our gaze towards his Mother. In recent years, various opinions have been voiced suggesting that it would be fitting to precede that anniversary by a similar Jubilee in celebration of the birth of Mary.

In fact, even though it is not possible to establish an exact chronological point for identifying the date of Mary’s birth, the Church has constantly been aware that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ.6 It is a fact that when “the fullness of time” was definitively drawing near-the saving advent of Emmanuel- she who was from eternity destined to be his Mother already existed on earth. The fact that she “preceded” the coming of Christ is reflected every year in the liturgy of Advent. Therefore, if to that ancient historical expectation of the Savior we compare these years which are bringing us closer to the end of the second Millennium after Christ and to the beginning of the third, it becomes fully comprehensible that in this present period we wish to turn in a special way to her, the one who in the “night” of the Advent expectation began to shine like a true “Morning Star” (Stella Matutina). For just as this star, together with the “dawn,” precedes the rising of the sun, so Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the “Sun of Justice” in the history of the human race.7

Her presence in the midst of Israel-a presence so discreet as to pass almost unnoticed by the eyes of her contemporaries-shone very clearly before the Eternal One, who had associated this hidden “daughter of Sion” (cf. Zeph. 3:14; Zeph. 2:10) with the plan of salvation embracing the whole history of humanity. With good reason, then, at the end of this Millennium, we Christians who know that the providential plan of the Most Holy Trinity is the central reality of Revelation and of faith feel the need to emphasize the unique presence of the Mother of Christ in history, especially during these last years leading up to the year 2000.

This encyclical was signed March 25, 1987 – 30 years ago! Yet how good it is to read the words of this son of Mary, who knew so well “the providential plan of the Most Holy Trinity” and the “need to emphasize the unique presence of the Mother of Christ in history”. Entering into Holy Week, let us pray to follow Jesus as Mary did in the sorrows of His Holy Passion.

 

[AveOTheotokos]

Amen!

It was in pondering the Sorrows of the Passion of Jesus that I was first hit with the concept of Mary’s sorrows and what she also had to endure because of my sinfulness. This lead to a newfound devotion to Mary. I wrote about my experience here:
How I found Mary with St. Louis de Montfort’s help

In all my time meditating on the Passion of the Lord that I failed to ever “look down” and notice the woman at his feet who’s heart had been pierced more brutally than any others’ in history.

I frequently apologized to Jesus in prayer for my sins and for how my sins had caused His suffering, but I never once acknowledged Mary’s suffering or apologized to her. As Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5:

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

All the times in the past that I had come to the Cross at the Mass, I had stepped right past… stepped right over and ignored God’s most perfect creation: the woman who said “Yes” to the Father’s will. I had come to the altar, yet I had forgotten to “first be reconciled” to the Mother of God, whom my sins had also devastated and caused unimaginable suffering.

Since gaining clarity on that one rainy afternoon, my faith journey has been such an amazing experience. I credit it this to the intercession of Our Lady and her constant desire to point us to Jesus.

“Ad Jesum Per Mariam”

 

[MariaChristi]

Amen!

It was in pondering the Sorrows of the Passion of Jesus that I was first hit with the concept of Mary’s sorrows and what she also had to endure because of my sinfulness. This lead to a newfound devotion to Mary. I wrote about my experience here:
How I found Mary with St. Louis de Montfort’s help

In all my time meditating on the Passion of the Lord that I failed to ever “look down” and notice the woman at his feet who’s heart had been pierced more brutally than any others’ in history.

I frequently apologized to Jesus in prayer for my sins and for how my sins had caused His suffering, but I never once acknowledged Mary’s suffering or apologized to her. As Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5:

All the times in the past that I had come to the Cross at the Mass, I had stepped right past… stepped right over and ignored God’s most perfect creation: the woman who said “Yes” to the Father’s will. I had come to the altar, yet I had forgotten to “first be reconciled” to the Mother of God, whom my sins had also devastated and caused unimaginable suffering.

Since gaining clarity on that one rainy afternoon, my faith journey has been such an amazing experience. I credit it this to the intercession of Our Lady and her constant desire to point us to Jesus.

“Ad Jesum Per Mariam”

Thanks AveOTheotokos,

For your response to this thread and the link back to the thread you began on how you found Mary with St. Louis de Mntfort’s help. I went back to your thread and re-read your words and my own response and the responses of others on that thread.

St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta have given their own testimonies to the “gift” of Mary coming to them through St. Louis de Montfort’s treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I hope many more may come to a fuller understanding of Mary’s role in God’s Plan through reading this book and by living the fullness of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. On this First Friday, may we stand in spirit with Mary at the foot of His Cross and with her make reparation for our sins and the sins of the world.