“And he was obedient to them.” (Lk 2:51) These words contain the whole life of Jesus Christ during the thirty years he spent with Mary his Mother, and Joseph his foster father. But what is this? A God subject to two creatures? Is this not inconsistent with the sovereign dominion of God over all creation?
No; because the obedience of Jesus is really given to God his Father, represented to him by Mary and Joseph. The true model of obedience, the obedience of faith. Submission to God in the persons of who represent him to us, and of whom he said: “Whoever listens to you listens to me” (Lk 10:16).
To obey thus is to have the same will with God. Is it in this spirit that we obey our directors despite their personal qualifications? If so, our obedience, as far as is possible, will be perfect like that of our Lord: prompt, generous, unlimited, and full of merit before God.
Ref:” cf Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp325-6
Indulgences
The invisible unity of the Church has many visible expressions. A privileged moment of that unity takes place in the sacrament whose name is precisely Communion, in that august Sacrifice which is the same all over the world. One is the priest who offers it, one the Victim, one the people who also offer it, one the God to whom it is offered, and one the result of the offering.
The one bread makes us one body, though we are many in number; the same bread is shared by all. (cf 1 Cor 10:17) Just as yesterday that bread was a handful of separate grains of wheat, so too, Catholics, in the measure of their unity with Christ, are fused into one body, although their circumstances are very different.
“In the Sacrament of the Eucharistic Bread, the unity of the faithful is represented and reproduced.” (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 3) The sacrament of charity, (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, III q73, a3) it presumes unity among the brethren. It is also a truth of faith that the same interchange of spiritual benefits exists between the faithful who make up the Church triumphant in heaven, the Church suffering in Purgatory and the Church militant on earth.
We can commend ourselves to, and so receive help from, the saints in Heaven (canonized or not), from the angels, from the souls who are still being purified in Purgatory (and we can help them to alleviate their burden), and from our brothers and sisters who, like us, are still on pilgrimage towards our ultimate homeland.
When we fulfil the pious duty of praying and offering suffrages for the souls of the faithful departed, we must take particularly into account those with whom we had stronger bonds on earth: parents, brothers and sisters, friends, relations. They count on our prayers. The Holy Mass is also the best suffrage we can offer for them.
The doctrine of indulgences is based on this dogma of the Communion of Saints. Through indulgences, the Church administers the graces gained by Christ, Our Lady and the Saints. Under certain conditions, the Church avails of these graces to forgive punishment due our sins and for what the souls in Purgatory need.
This doctrine on the exchange of spiritual benefits is a great stimulus for us to fulfil our duties faithfully; and to pray devoutly, knowing that all our tasks, sicknesses, difficulties and prayers are an immense help to others. Nothing we do with rectitude of intention is ever lost.
“'The more my faithfulness increases, the better will I be able to contribute to the growth of others in that virtue.’ How good it is to feel supported by each other.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, Furrow, 948)
If we keep in mind that someone is interceding for us at this moment, and that another will be hoping for our prayer to overcome a bad situation; or to decide to stay closer to Our Lord, we will be inspired to practise our Faith more deeply.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:415-6
Mediatrix of all graces
A mediator’s job is to bring together, or at least to open communication between, two distant parties. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, is the only and perfect mediator between God and men (cf 1 Tim 2:5), because, as God and man, he offered up a sacrifice of infinite value (his own death) to reconcile men with God. (St Thomas Aquinas, “Summa Theologiae”, III, q26, a2) But this does not keep the saints, Christians in general, and, in a most particular way, our Lady from functioning as mediators. ( Second Vatican Council, Op cit, 60)
The Virgin, Christ’s Mother and mother of disciples desirous of identifying themselves with her Son, is a singular “Mediatrix before the Mediator”. (St Bernard, “Sermon 2, Sunday, Octave of the Assumption”) With respect both to Christ and to mankind hers is a motherly role. Consequently, in interceding, Mary “places herself ‘in the midst’, that is, makes herself a mediator not like a stranger, but in her role as mother, aware that as such she can -- rather, ‘has the right to’ -- lay before her Son the needs of men.” (John Paul II, “Redemptoris Mater”, 21)
Hers is a mediation intimately linked to her role as mother and our condition as needy children. Pope John Paul II explains in detail that “this mothering in the order of grace arises from her very divine motherhood” (“Redemptoris Mater”, 6).
Since she is God’s Mother, our Lady finds herself, as we saw, closely related to the Trinity. And since she is mother of all mankind, she is divinely charged with caring for her pilgrim children on the way to the house of their Father.
God so wanted, teaches St Bernard, that all good come to us through her. “It’s God’s will that we obtain everything through Mary.” (“Sermon on the Aqueduct”) She was not merely a passive instrument in God’s hands, but cooperated in the salvation of men with voluntary faith and obedience. (Second Vatican Council, Op cit, 56)
Ref: F Fernandez-Carvajal, et al, “Children of God”, 1997, pp65-6
Our Lady of the Forest, near ‘Boulogne-sur-Mer’. This little chapel is very celebrated in that country. — Triple Couronne, n. 53. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com); [(maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)]
Our Lady of the Forest (France, 1419). (http://www.divinewill.org/feastofourlady.htm); (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html); (MaryLinks Calendar.htm)
Our Lady of the Forest. ‘Boulogne-sur-Mer’, France; Shrine in Illinois, USA. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Our Lady of the Forest. Britanny, France (1419). (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Post a Comment