Learning Compassion from Mary

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Recently, a friend and I were discussing “compassion”. I’m posting an excerpt which I remembered from the book, The Wellspring of Worship. In a section entitled “The Church of Compassion” p.173, the author, Father Jean Corbon wrote this:

Knowledge of the Divine Compassion results from what is perhaps the most intense movement of the Spirit in our hearts. The Virgin Mary – who is the Church as it dawns in a single person – is the mirror of this knowledge, its vital space. To know this compassion from within requires more than self acceptance in joyless resignation; it requires that we say “Yes” with our whole being to the love that gives us life; it requires that we accept ourselves from the hand of the Father and entrust the burden of our human nature to Jesus who carries it for us. Once we have been re-created in mercy after having been created by necessity we become free and able to love; we become free in order to love more but in order that that all suffering may be opened up like an unsealed spring. Let us learn to make our own the gaze of the Mother of Tender Love, this searching gaze that sees afar because it comes from afar because it comes from the heart of God Himself.

I was happy to re-read this section again for it made a connection for me between the icon of Our Lady of Tenderness and the icons of the Sorrowful Mother, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I hope this excerpt blesses you all as much as it blessed me.

 

[CountrySteve]

cool thanks for sharing God bless

 

[Mystic_Faith]

" Let us learn to make our own the gaze of the Mother of Tender Love, this searching gaze that sees afar because it comes from afar because it comes from the heart of God Himself"
I love it, If everyone could embrace this, what a better world we would live in!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[MariaChristi]

cool thanks for sharing God bless

Dear Country Steve,

Thanks for your reply. The entire book is well-worth reading.

 

[MariaChristi]

" Let us learn to make our own the gaze of the Mother of Tender Love, this searching gaze that sees afar because it comes from afar because it comes from the heart of God Himself"
I love it, If everyone could embrace this, what a better world we would live in!

Thanks for sharing!

Dear Mystic Faith,

Thanks for your reply. I don’t know if you are familiar with icons, but when I read those words of Fr. Corbon, I wondered if he had been praying before the Icon of Our Lady of Tenderness (sometimes also called Our Lady of Vladimir) as he wrote! Our Lady of Tenderness is one of my favorite icons, see HERE. I love the way the Baby Jesus’ face is pressed so close to His Mother’s face and how His little hand is around her neck. Mary our Mother, however, is not looking at the Baby but looks directly at us, her eyes are large with that “searching gaze” which Fr. Corbon describes so well.

Icons have been called “windows into heaven” because they are meant to point us to realities beyond the images.

 

[Mystic_Faith]

Maria,

Thanks for the link! I am actualy not familiar with icons at all. Somehting new to read about!!
I will check into it as soon as I can!

Seems there are more things to learn, then time in the day!

 

[MariaChristi]

Maria,

Thanks for the link! I am actualy not familiar with icons at all. Somehting new to read about!!
I will check into it as soon as I can!

Seems there are more things to learn, then time in the day!

Dear Mystic Faith,

Icons have been a blessing to me since I first became aware of them, many years ago, on a visit to Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario, Canada. For more on this amazing Apostolate see HERE. Servant of God, Catherine Doherty, who founded this Apostolate was born in Russia and it was her love for icons that made an impression on me and have influenced my prayer ever since. For more on Catherine, see HERE

Recently in re-reading Bl. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter on the Rosary, I noticed that he suggested using an icon to focus on the Mysteries of the Rosary. Somehow I missed that suggestion in my first reading of his letter.

I agree with you that our time seems so much “shorter” than the long list of things we’d like to read or do or simply ponder in silence, but some wise person once said that we may not have time to do all the things we may want, but there is always enough time to do what God wants.

Thanks again for your replies.