Mary and the Risen Christ

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Resurrection accounts in the four Gospels tell us of Jesus’ appearances to Mary Magdalen and to his Apostles but there is no recorded words to describe His appearance to His Mother. Again, the mystic approved by the Catholic Church, Mary of Agreda in her writing, The Mystical City of God, gives us a possible description of how Jesus visited His Mother after His Resurrection. If you are interested, you may want to read that private revelation in Vol. 3, Chapter XXVI, see HERE

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, and today, however, I am more inclined to remain with Mary in the Cenacle as she “mothers” her son John and the children Jesus gave her from the cross. I am more aware of how the Risen Christ is “seen” in Mary’s actions of love and how He is meant to be “seen” in the Church of every age. Mary is ever docile to the Holy Spirit and by His power she continues to give Her Son, now through Grace which is a participation in Divine Life. The prayer that expresses this well for me is:

O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in the spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your power, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in your Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen
– Prayer of Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)

 

[petra22]

I’m joining you and Mary, my mother, in prayer for all her children on this Easter Monday morning. Mary, lead us to Jesus! Amen. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice and for leading us to the Father… Amen.

 

[MariaChristi]

I’m joining you and Mary, my mother, in prayer for all her children on this Easter Monday morning. Mary, lead us to Jesus! Amen. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice and for leading us to the Father… Amen.

Dear Petra,

Thanks so much for your reply. In writing to another friend of mine this morning, I shared this:

…Yesterday, I spent some time in the last portion of Jesus of Nazareth, Vol. 2 by Pope Benedict, on the Resurrection. He is a real scholar in his references to so many passages of Scripture and commentaries, yet he always blesses me as one who (in his own words) is seeking the Face of Christ.

I was particularly blessed in the Passion narratives by Pope Benedict’s stress on the word “for”. Jesus was “for” His Father and “for” others. All His Life, His Sufferings and His Death were given “for” the Father and us.

For me, the same could be said of Mary, since she was and is a perfect mirror of His Love. During Holy Week, I heard more in those words of Jesus from the Cross: “Woman, behold your son” and it was connected to the words of Mary to St. Juan Diego: “Am I not your Mother?” “Are you not in the crossing of my arms?”

I’ve loved those words of hers for a while and always felt comforted and happy remembering she holds me in the crossing of her arms, but this Holy week, I began to realize: I needed to hold the whole Body of Christ with her. I need to “be” as Mary is, and open my self to hold all God’s children in the "crossing of my arms” by grace.

Easter and this morning, pondering the Risen Jesus and His continuing love for Mary and all of us, I realize in a new way how He lives in us by grace coming through her. As we gaze on our Mother we see the Church as we are called to be: alive in the Risen Christ, loving one another as He has loved us, holding all in the crossing of our arms…

 

[Richard_White]

Maria Christi, I wish you and your family a happy and most blessed Easter! May the Risen Christ, through the intercession of His Blessed Mother Mary, grant you peace, joy, and grace this Easter season and always!

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia!
For He whom you deserved to bear, alleluia!
Has risen as He said, alleluia!
Pray for us to God, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
Because our Lord is truly risen, alleluia!

(From the Regina Caeli)

May God bless you in abundance and in eternity!

Your brother in Christ,

Ryan

 

[MariaChristi]

Maria Christi, I wish you and your family a happy and most blessed Easter! May the Risen Christ, through the intercession of His Blessed Mother Mary, grant you peace, joy, and grace this Easter season and always!

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia!
For He whom you deserved to bear, alleluia!
Has risen as He said, alleluia!
Pray for us to God, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
Because our Lord is truly risen, alleluia!

(From the Regina Caeli)

May God bless you in abundance and in eternity!

Your brother in Christ,

Ryan

Dear Ryan,

Thanks you so much for your prayers and Easter blessings. By God’s Grace, may we continue to learn of Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart through Mary our Mother. These days after Easter are rich in meaning for all who love and follow Him as Mary did on earth.

As Mary shared in His suffering, so she shared in the joy of His Resurrection and continued to learn from Him as the most perfect of all His Disciples.

 

[petra22]

Dear Petra,

Thanks so much for your reply. In writing to another friend of mine this morning, I shared this:

“Woman, behold your son” and it was connected to the words of Mary to St. Juan Diego: “Am I not your Mother?” “Are you not in the crossing of my arms?”

I had not heard that before but it is very comforting imagery… I love it! Thanks…

 

[MariaChristi]

“Woman, behold your son” and it was connected to the words of Mary to St. Juan Diego: “Am I not your Mother?” “Are you not in the crossing of my arms?”

I had not heard that before but it is very comforting imagery… I love it! Thanks…

Dear Petra,

The apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego, a humble Indian layman whose name is also John (Juan is Spanish for John) mean much to me, and like the apparitions at Fatima to the three shepherd children, I believe both are very significant for the Church of our time. The Catechism assures us, regarding private revelations: “… It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history …” ( CCC, paragraph 67).

The message of Our Lady of Guadalupe is primarily about her love for us as Mother. It also occasioned an amazing number of conversions. Today Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the unborn. How we need to continue to invoke her intercession for the end of abortion and pray for the continuing conversion of those in darkness who kill the defenseless in their mothers’ wombs! How we all need to better understand Mary’s role as our Mother in the Spiritual order of grace! How we need to see her as icon of the Church! Mary is the “Star of the New Evangelization”.

When Pope Emeritus was Prefect of the Congregation for the Defense of the Faith, Pope St. John Paul II asked him to write a Theological Commentary on the “secret of Fatima”. It is a long document but its conclusion is very important for our time:

…I would like finally to mention another key expression of the “secret” which has become justly famous: “my Immaculate Heart will triumph”. What does this mean? The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind. The fiat of Mary, the word of her heart, has changed the history of the world, because it brought the Saviour into the world—because, thanks to her Yes, God could become man in our world and remains so for all time. The Evil One has power in this world, as we see and experience continually; he has power because our freedom continually lets itself be led away from God. But since God himself took a human heart and has thus steered human freedom towards what is good, the freedom to choose evil no longer has the last word. From that time forth, the word that prevails is this: “In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). The message of Fatima invites us to trust in this promise.

I’m not exactly sure when (as Cardinal Ratzinger or as Pope Benedict) he also said that Fatima is an ongoing prophecy.

Remaining in the “crossing of Mary’s arms” is a comfort we all need – for we are all children so very much in need of love from God our Father and Mary our Mother. Remaining close to her heart, moreover, also gives us a share in her strength to say “Yes” to each cross we are privileged to carry in union with Jesus and with her. Thanks again for your reply, Petra. By God’s Grace, let us please continue to keep the Word in our hearts as Mary did in order to give Him to all we meet.