"...in the garden of the Virgin's womb..."

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today’s Gospel on the mustard seed is commented upon by St. Peter Chrysologus, and the saint gives us a beautiful image of God’s work:

Commentary of the day - Saint Peter Chrysologus (c.406-450), Doctor of the Church

“But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants”

Brothers and sisters, you have heard today how the kingdom of heaven, for all its vastness, can be compared to a mustard seed…

It is up to us to sow this mustard seed in our minds and let it grow within us into a great tree of understanding (Gen 2,9) reaching up to heaven and elevating all our faculties, spreading out branches of knowledge…

Christ is the kingdom of heaven. Sown like a mustard seed in the garden of the Virgin’s womb, he grew up into the tree of the cross whose branches stretch across the world. Crushed in the mortar of the passion, its fruit has produced seasoning enough for the flavoring and preservation of every living creature with which it comes in contact. As long as a mustard seed remains intact, its properties lie dormant; but when it is crushed they are exceedingly evident. So it was with Christ; he chose to have his body crushed, because he would not have his power concealed… Christ is king, because he is the source of all authority. Christ is the kingdom, because all the glory of his kingdom is within him.

Not only does this Doctor of the Church share his insights into the mystery of Christ, “The Word mede Flesh” but also the profound mystery of His Life in us. Mary’s womb has been compared to the Church for we are “born again” in the waters of Baptism and the Life of Christ makes us a new creation. We now carry that seed of life within us. What a wondrous mystery! Like Christ we are sown in the garden of the Virgin’s womb, by God’s design. We are enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to carry Jesus not physically as Mary did, but spiritually as she did after His Ascension into heaven. She carried on His Mission as the Church is called to do in this world.

If anyone has ever read the book, concerning the approved apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho, you’ll remember that Our Lady asked one of the visionaries to “water my flowers” and the girl came to realize Mary spoke of all the people gathered there as her “flowers”. Mary can see God’s wondrous work of sowing the seed of His Life in us. May we open our hearts to receive Him fully, allowing Him to grow and bear much fruit in, and through, us.

 

[JohnJFarren]

“Holy Mary, Mother of GOD …
pray for us sinners…”
Dear MariaChristi – 17 June 2015
Thanks for your posting. What great disagreements, including concerning Mary, were present among the bishops during Vatican II!

Here’s a footnote to the Constitution of De Ecclesia > “262. The Council comes very close here to calling Mary ‘Mother of the Church.’ This title, while not bestowed by the Council itself, was actually conferred by Paul VI in his closing allocution at the end of the third session, Nov. 21, 1964.” See below.

The detailed treatment, titled The Blessed Virgin and the Church, in pages 153-159 of The Rhine Flows Into the Tiber, by Wiltgen SVD, gives a detailed treatment of the matter. Also other pages indicated in Index at end.

The following exact quotes of Paul VI are not to be considered Infallible. They were not meant to be considered as Infallible. They do not fulfill the requirements for Infallibility.

“On Wednesday, November 18, 1964, in the midst of Black Week, Pope Paul made a statement at a public audience which went largely unnoticed. ‘We are happy to announce to you,’ he said, ‘that we shall close this session of the Ecumenical Council … by joyfully bestowing on Our Lady the title due to her, Mother of the Church.’” The Rhine… p. 240f.

“At the public meeting on Saturday, November 21, the last day of the session, Pope Paul said in his concluding address that the close relations existing between Mary and the Church, so clearly established in today’s Conciliar Constitution,’ caused him to feel that this was ‘the most solemn and appropriate moment to fulfill a wish to which we referred at the end of the preceding session … Very many Council Fathers,’ continued Pope Paul, ‘have made this wish their own, pressing for an explicit declaration during this Council of the role as Mother which the Virgin exercises over the Christian people. To achieve this aim, we have considered it opportune to consecrate, at this public meeting itself, a title in honor of the Virgin which has been suggested by various parts of the Catholic world. It is particularly dear to us because it sums up, in an admirable synthesis, the privileged position recognized by this Council for the Virgin in the Holy Church. Therefore, for the glory of the Virgin Mary and for our own consolation, we proclaim the Most Holy Mary as Mother of the Church, that is to say, of all the People of God, of the faithful as well as the pastors [bishops], who call her their most loving Mother. And we wish that from now on the Virgin should be still more honored and invoked by the entire Christian people by this most dear title.’” The Rhine… pp 240-241

You may already be familiar with this information. I wanted to share it with you.
I send you Blessing … please Bless me in Christ …
JohnJFarren … Trinity5635@aol.com

 

[MariaChristi]

“Holy Mary, Mother of GOD …
pray for us sinners…”
Dear MariaChristi – 17 June 2015
Thanks for your posting. What great disagreements, including concerning Mary, were present among the bishops during Vatican II!

Here’s a footnote to the Constitution of De Ecclesia > “262. The Council comes very close here to calling Mary ‘Mother of the Church.’ This title, while not bestowed by the Council itself, was actually conferred by Paul VI in his closing allocution at the end of the third session, Nov. 21, 1964.” See below.

The detailed treatment, titled The Blessed Virgin and the Church, in pages 153-159 of The Rhine Flows Into the Tiber, by Wiltgen SVD, gives a detailed treatment of the matter. Also other pages indicated in Index at end.

The following exact quotes of Paul VI are not to be considered Infallible. They were not meant to be considered as Infallible. They do not fulfill the requirements for Infallibility.

“On Wednesday, November 18, 1964, in the midst of Black Week, Pope Paul made a statement at a public audience which went largely unnoticed. ‘We are happy to announce to you,’ he said, ‘that we shall close this session of the Ecumenical Council … by joyfully bestowing on Our Lady the title due to her, Mother of the Church.’” The Rhine… p. 240f.

“At the public meeting on Saturday, November 21, the last day of the session, Pope Paul said in his concluding address that the close relations existing between Mary and the Church, so clearly established in today’s Conciliar Constitution,’ caused him to feel that this was ‘the most solemn and appropriate moment to fulfill a wish to which we referred at the end of the preceding session … Very many Council Fathers,’ continued Pope Paul, ‘have made this wish their own, pressing for an explicit declaration during this Council of the role as Mother which the Virgin exercises over the Christian people. To achieve this aim, we have considered it opportune to consecrate, at this public meeting itself, a title in honor of the Virgin which has been suggested by various parts of the Catholic world. It is particularly dear to us because it sums up, in an admirable synthesis, the privileged position recognized by this Council for the Virgin in the Holy Church. Therefore, for the glory of the Virgin Mary and for our own consolation, we proclaim the Most Holy Mary as Mother of the Church, that is to say, of all the People of God, of the faithful as well as the pastors [bishops], who call her their most loving Mother. And we wish that from now on the Virgin should be still more honored and invoked by the entire Christian people by this most dear title.’” The Rhine… pp 240-241

You may already be familiar with this information. I wanted to share it with you.
I send you Blessing … please Bless me in Christ …
JohnJFarren … Trinity5635@aol.com

Dear John,

Thanks for your post. Yes, I was aware of the information in general, although I did not read the book by Wiltgen, thanks for sharing it with me. So many Saints, Popes and Theologians have written beautifully of Our Lady, and have appreciated this beautiful truth that Mary is both Mother and Model of the Church.

Thanks for your blessing in Christ, and I bless you in return.

PS Did you mean to type “Saint” Paul VI? Personally I think he is in heaven along with many others who may never be canonized, but … I don’t think Pope Paul has been given the title “Saint” here on earth yet.