On this day in 1951, in Amsterdam, Our Lady appeared on the Earth-globe with a cross at her back, rays streaming from her outstretched hands, and a multitude of sheep gathered around the globe. She said, “The Lady of All Nations is here, standing before the cross of her Son; her feet are placed in the very midst of the world, and the flock of Jesus Christ surrounds her. It is as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix that I come at these times. I was Co-Redemptrix from the moment of the Anunciation. This is the meaning: The mother has been constituted Co-Redemptrix by the will of the Father. Tell this to your theologians. Tell them likewise that this dogma will be the last in Marian history.”
Ref: Ted and Maureen Flynn, “Thunder of Justice”, 1993, p53
Memorial: St Albert the Great, bishop and Doctor of the Church -- A professor of theology. A man of great wisdom, he advocated peace among peoples and cities. (Fr James Socias, et al [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1694)
St Albert the Great, Doctor of the Church
In his lifetime, Albert carried on manifold activities as a religious and a preacher, as a religious superior, as a bishop and mediator of peace in his own city of Cologne. Posterity described him as the ‘doctor universalis’. The Church refers to him as one of her “doctors”.
In his long life, he was also a great man of science, a spiritual son of St Dominic and the teacher of St Thomas Aquinas. He was one of the great intelligences of the thirteenth century. More than anyone else, he joined faith with reason; God’s wisdom with the wisdom of the world.
I will pause to meditate together with you on the words with which the liturgy celebrates him: “If this is the will of the Lord, he shall be great, filled with spirit of understanding. Like rain, he will pour out words of wisdom, in prayer he will render praise to the Lord. He will direct his counsel and his science, he will meditate on the mysteries of God. He will cause the doctrine of his teaching to shine, he will exalt the law of the Lord’s alliance.
"Many will laud his intelligence, he shall never be forgotten, memory of him shall not fade, his name shall live from generation to generation. The peoples will speak of his wisdom, the assembly shall proclaim his praises.” These words perfectly describe the image of a true “disciple of God”.
Ref: cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, pp393-4
The resurrection of Lazarus
“Jesus came and found that Lazarus had been four days already in the grave. Martha, as soon as she heard Jesus has arrived, went to meet him, but Mary sat at home. Martha, therefore, said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you were here, my brother would not have died’. Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother shall rise again’ .
“Martha said, ‘I know he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day’. Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me, although dead, shall live; every one who lives and believes in me shall not die forever. Do you believe?’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe you are Christ, the Son of the living God, who has come into this world’.” (Jn 11:17, 20-27)
Mary on hearing from her sister that Jesus had come, rose and went to meet him. “... when she came to where Jesus was, she fell down at this feet, and said to him, ‘Lord, if you were here, my brother would not have died’. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’
“They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see’. And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, went to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was laid against it.” (Jn 11:32-8)
Observe: 1) Mary, on hearing Jesus has arrived, left everybody trying to console her and fell at the feet of Jesus. Let us, too, learn from her to find our best consolation at his feet before the Blessed Sacrament.
2) We are not forbidden to be moved by the sorrow of our friends and relations, since our Lord himself wept at beholding the sorrow of Martha and Mary.
3) That, not satisfied with bestowing his compassion on their sorrow, our Lord removed its cause by restoring to them the object of their love.
Let us do as he did in our power. We cannot restore life to the dead, nor riches to whoever lost them; but we may bring back to the fold those who were dead in sins, and restore them to the riches of God’s grace.
“Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone’. ... So they took away the stone. Looking upward, Jesus said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so they may believe you sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound ...” (Jn 11:39-44)
Let us admire the power and goodness of Jesus who worked this miracle not so much for Lazarus as for the Jews and for ourselves, that we might believe in him, love and serve him with all the powers of our soul.
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp726-8
The Lord is always faithful
At times we find it difficult to remain faithful to the Lord. We ought to remember then that his “yoke is sweet and his burden light” (cf Mt 11:30). Happiness comes in the renewed struggle. God never asks more than we can handle. He knows us well and takes into account our defects. He also counts on our sincerity and humility in beginning again.
“Love Our Lady. And she will obtain abundant grace to help you conquer in your daily struggle. And the enemy will gain nothing by those perversities that seem to boil up continually within you, trying to engulf in their fragrant corruption the high ideals, those sublime commands that Christ himself has placed in your heart. ‘Serviam!’ I will serve.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Way”, 493)
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 5:248-9
Our Lady of Pignerol, built in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, about the year 1098, by Adelaide, Countess of Savoy. — Archives of the Place. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Our Lady of Pignerol. ["built in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, about the year 1098, by Adelaide, Countess of Savoy." Archives of the Place.] (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
Our Lady of Pignerol. Savoy, France (1098). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html);(www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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