"In the Shadow of Our Lady"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’ve already posted the artist’s depiction of Bl. Mother Teresa’s vision revealed by Fr. Langford, MC in another thread. My husband made a copy of it and framed it for me so I can continue to ponder it, as I re-read Fr. Langford’s book. Let me post it here again:
http://www.mcpriests.com/03spirituality/images/christ_mother.jpg

The title of Fr. Langford’s book is a good one, “Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady”, for as I look at the image, as she saw herself with Our Lady behind her, it is as if she is enveloped by Our Lady’s presence and standing “In the Shadow of Our Lady”. Reading about the vision and looking at the picture I realized the vision was not for Mother Teresa alone. None of us is given a gift only for ourselves, but our gifts are to share with others.

In this vision God gave Mother Teresa, His Truth in the way He wanted her to live it – for all the world to see; and to those needing the Love Who created and redeemed them, Mother Teresa brought the Light of Christ. Mother Teresa went to the unloved and unwanted with Jesus and Mary. The Light in her vision shone from the Crucified while she was standing at the the cross, as a child with Mary our Mother. I hope you can hear this and even more than this by pondering this image. I’d be grateful to read your thoughts – especially about being called to accept a deeper presence of Mary in your life, and a deepening of your confidence in Mary’s pointing you to Jesus.

 

[cjforJesus]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’ve already posted the artist’s depiction of Bl. Mother Teresa’s vision revealed by Fr. Langford, MC in another thread. My husband made a copy of it and framed it for me so I can continue to ponder it, as I re-read Fr. Langford’s book. Let me post it here again:
http://www.mcpriests.com/03spirituality/images/christ_mother.jpg

The title of Fr. Langford’s book is a good one, “Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady”, for as I look at the image, as she saw herself with Our Lady behind her, it is as if she is enveloped by Our Lady’s presence and standing “In the Shadow of Our Lady”. Reading about the vision and looking at the picture I realized the vision was not for Mother Teresa alone. None of us is given a gift only for ourselves, but our gifts are to share with others.

In this vision God gave Mother Teresa, His Truth in the way He wanted her to live it – for all the world to see; and to those needing the Love Who created and redeemed them, Mother Teresa brought the Light of Christ. Mother Teresa went to the unloved and unwanted with Jesus and Mary. The Light in her vision shone from the Crucified while she was standing at the the cross, as a child with Mary our Mother. I hope you can hear this and even more than this by pondering this image. I’d be grateful to read your thoughts – especially about being called to accept a deeper presence of Mary in your life, and a deepening of your confidence in Mary’s pointing you to Jesus.

Thank you for this uplifting post.Yes,Mary always points to Jesus and not herself. Pray the rosary every day and make sacrifices.

 

[Jeannie52]

This is a wonderful post. Thank you so much for posting this!

 

[Casilda]

When I was 9yrs old, my parents left the church. I do not remember if Our Lady was prominent in our home before then, but when I was 9, my mother bought a statue of Our Lady. I noticed that all my aunts, uncles and cousins also had either Our Lady or a statue representing their patron saint in their homes. So I grew up in Our Lady’s shadow and in the shadow of saints, even though I was not attending church. Sadly, as my aunts and uncles have died, and my cousins are older I find they no longer have these images in their homes or prayer corners/altars. I have been very fortunate to have been given my mother’s statue of Mary. With my own mother gone, being able to see Mary, my mother’s comfort, is a solace. My father was visited by a heavenly figure 5 months before his repose and his spirituality was rekindled. At his bedside he kept an icon of Christ. I was not able to reconcile either one to the church before they passed. This weighs heavily on my heart. My mother’s devotion to Mary and my father’s rekindled faith give me hope.

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

MariaChristi, your thread reminds me of the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

After the third apparition, Juan Diego was supposed to meet the Lady the next morning in Tepeyac Hill to receive the sign he was to bring to the bishop to convince him to build the church in honor of her. However, Juan’s uncle became severely ill, so he was not able to go the hill on the appointed time. The next day, Juan was racing towards a nearby church to bring a priest to his dying uncle to give the Last Rites, and he passed by Tepeyac Hill. Suddenly, he saw the Lady going down the hill to intercept him on the path he was on. Juan sorrowfully told her his excuse for not going to their appointment. After listening, she said tenderly:

“Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest son, that what frightened you, what afflicted you is nothing; do not let it disturb your face, your heart; do not fear this sickness or any other sickness, nor any sharp or hurtful thing. Am I not here, I who have the honor to be your mother? Are you not in my shadow and under my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my
arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you; don’t grieve your uncle’s illness, because he will not die of it for now, you may be certain that he is already healed.”

Overly rejoiced by the Lady’s words, Juan went on to do her mission for him. It was later found that Juan’s uncle was miraculously healed in that same moment that the Lady was talking to him.

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

Haha, this is weird, I keep on getting inspirations about being under God’s shadow now!

One of my favorite songs is a Tagalog song called “Awit ng Paghahangad” which can be translated as “Song of Longing.” It is based on Psalm 63, and the chorus of the song ends with: “Sa lilim ng Iyong mga pakpak / Umaawit akong buong galak” (Under the shadow of your wings / I sing, full of joy).

This reminds me of how Jesus Christ said that He wanted to bring in Jerusalem like chicks under the wings of a hen, but it was not willing (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34).

And of course, there is the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).

On the other hand, there is also God dispelling the shadows in my life, as the song The Light of A Million Mornings proclaims

 

[Dorothy]

When I was 9yrs old, my parents left the church. I do not remember if Our Lady was prominent in our home before then, but when I was 9, my mother bought a statue of Our Lady. I noticed that all my aunts, uncles and cousins also had either Our Lady or a statue representing their patron saint in their homes. So I grew up in Our Lady’s shadow and in the shadow of saints, even though I was not attending church. Sadly, as my aunts and uncles have died, and my cousins are older I find they no longer have these images in their homes or prayer corners/altars. I have been very fortunate to have been given my mother’s statue of Mary. With my own mother gone, being able to see Mary, my mother’s comfort, is a solace. My father was visited by a heavenly figure 5 months before his repose and his spirituality was rekindled. At his bedside he kept an icon of Christ. I was not able to reconcile either one to the church before they passed. This weighs heavily on my heart. My mother’s devotion to Mary and my father’s rekindled faith give me hope.

And, that hope sounds very good to have! The Lord knows what was in their hearts, and even after they are unconscious and not separated from their soul yet the Lord can still be offering Himself to them.

 

[MariaChristi]

This is a wonderful post. Thank you so much for posting this!

Dear Jeannie,

Thanks for your reply. Can you be more specific – what especially blessed you to make this “a wonderful post” ? It helps me if I know “specifics” so I can continue to post words that are most helpful to persons in their spiritual growth. Thanks, again.

 

[MariaChristi]

When I was 9yrs old, my parents left the church. I do not remember if Our Lady was prominent in our home before then, but when I was 9, my mother bought a statue of Our Lady. I noticed that all my aunts, uncles and cousins also had either Our Lady or a statue representing their patron saint in their homes. So I grew up in Our Lady’s shadow and in the shadow of saints, even though I was not attending church. Sadly, as my aunts and uncles have died, and my cousins are older I find they no longer have these images in their homes or prayer corners/altars. I have been very fortunate to have been given my mother’s statue of Mary. With my own mother gone, being able to see Mary, my mother’s comfort, is a solace. My father was visited by a heavenly figure 5 months before his repose and his spirituality was rekindled. At his bedside he kept an icon of Christ. I was not able to reconcile either one to the church before they passed. This weighs heavily on my heart. My mother’s devotion to Mary and my father’s rekindled faith give me hope.

Dearest Casilda,

God knows your heart and He knows your mother’s and father’s and everyone else’s heart – as only He can. That is why He alone can truly judge any heart.

“Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God; believe also in Me.” (John 14: 1) The words of Jesus to His disciples are recorded so that we may hear them deep within our own hearts. The knowledge you have of your mother’s devotion to Mary and your father’s rekindled faith, keeping an icon of Christ at his bedside, are gifts from God and an encouragement for you to continue by His Grace, growing your own faith in, and trust in God’s Great Love and Mercy for your parents and for all His children.

I had no firm assurance of the state of his soul, when my father passed away but I remember my sister and I praying the Rosary at his bedside while he was in a coma. He had converted to Catholicism to marry my Mom, but he had very little knowledge of the faith, nor do I remember his going to Church much except the day of my First Holy Communion. Still I believe and trust that God knew my father’s heart and I believe and trust God saved Him for eternity. Those final moments before we breathe our last breath are precious moments between the soul and God. God loves each child He creates more than we can even imagine and His Mercy endures forever. Keep your faith and hope in God alive by His Grace. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. One day our faith by God’s Grace, will become the Beatific Vision and God will be All in all.

 

[MariaChristi]

+JMJ+

MariaChristi, your thread reminds me of the story of Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe.

After the third apparition, Juan Diego was supposed to meet the Lady the next morning in Tepeyac Hill to receive the sign he was to bring to the bishop to convince him to build the church in honor of her. However, Juan’s uncle became severely ill, so he was not able to go the hill on the appointed time. The next day, Juan was racing towards a nearby church to bring a priest to his dying uncle to give the Last Rites, and he passed by Tepeyac Hill. Suddenly, he saw the Lady going down the hill to intercept him on the path he was on. Juan sorrowfully told her his excuse for not going to their appointment. After listening, she said tenderly:

“Listen, put it into your heart, my youngest son, that what frightened you, what afflicted you is nothing; do not let it disturb your face, your heart; do not fear this sickness or any other sickness, nor any sharp or hurtful thing. Am I not here, I who have the honor to be your mother? Are you not in my shadow and under my protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my
arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you; don’t grieve your uncle’s illness, because he will not die of it for now, you may be certain that he is already healed.”

Overly rejoiced by the Lady’s words, Juan went on to do her mission for him. It was later found that Juan’s uncle was miraculously healed in that same moment that the Lady was talking to him.

Dear nuntym,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, the beautiful apparition of Mary to St. Juan Diego is significant in Fr. Langford’s book, Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady. In an Appendix to his book Father suggests many parallels between Mother Teresa and St. Juan Diego as childlike, humble messengers who served Jesus and Mary among the poor.

I’m not sure if you knew that the Priests of the Missionaries of Charity have a house very near the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. The original paining of the artist depicting Mother Teresa’s vision hangs on the wall in their house.

 

[MariaChristi]

+JMJ+

Haha, this is weird, I keep on getting inspirations about being under God’s shadow now!

One of my favorite songs is a Tagalog song called “Awit ng Paghahangad” which can be translated as “Song of Longing.” It is based on Psalm 63, and the chorus of the song ends with: “Sa lilim ng Iyong mga pakpak / Umaawit akong buong galak” (Under the shadow of your wings / I sing, full of joy).

This reminds me of how Jesus Christ said that He wanted to bring in Jerusalem like chicks under the wings of a hen, but it was not willing (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34).

And of course, there is the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).

On the other hand, there is also God dispelling the shadows in my life, as the song The Light of A Million Mornings proclaims

Dear nuntym,

Thanks for your reply. I think it’s wonderful, rather than “weird” to think of being “under God’s shadow”. Ps 63 is a beautiful example given us by God of one who prays:

…Thou has been my help, and in the shadow of Thy wings I sing for joy…(Ps 63: 7)

It reminds me of Our Lady’s Magnificat when after she was “overshadowed by the Holy Spirit,” she prayed: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46) The scene from the Gospel where Jesus weeps, and would have gathered Jerusalem as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings – but they would not – is also a powerful reminder that God’s Love can be refused.

I think the darkness of our present day is especially dark because of many turning away from God. Some may have not truly encountered Him. Bl Mother Teresa continues to be God’s Light sent into the dark places of the world – even though she has left this earth to be with God, her Missionaries of Charity sisters, brothers and priests seek to carry forth her example of bringing Christ to the unloved and the unwanted. Those of us who have pondered God’s work in Mother Teresa can also carry Jesus to others, by His Grace.

Each of us has been given the Light of Faith by our Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation and Eucharist and sent to continue the mission of Jesus. Like Mary our Mother, and Bl. Mother Teresa we are also called to carry His Light. In the artist’s depiction of Mother Teresa’s vision, the Light is from Jesus upon Whom both Mary and Mother Teresa are gazing. He gives us His Light – His Life shining from within us by Grace and He has said:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. ( Mt. 5: 14 - 16)

It is a daunting task, yet if by His Grace we allow ourselves to be gathered by Christ, “as a hen gathers her chicks”, receiving His Light and standing with Our Lady, nothing is impossible for Him to accomplish through and with our littleness. Thanks again for your thoughts.