After the Ascension, he was selected to replace Judas. Our Christian vocation is God’s gratuitous gift; we must correspond with fidelity and gratitude. (Fr James Socias, ‘et al’ [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1525)
General reflections on Our Lord’s appearances
The Evangelists recorded only nine appearances; but the context of their words imply many more. In St Luke’s words: “... he showed himself alive, after his Passion, by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)
These frequent manifestations were to confirm the faith of his apostles and disciples in his resurrection, to slowly accustom them to his impending separation from them, and to prove, by so many sudden appearances, that he was always invisibly present with them.
Jesus deals similarly even now with holy souls to whom he sometimes gives sensible tokens of his presence; either by some special illumination or by making them feel a vivid delight of joy and love. This happens frequently in Holy Communion, when he makes them to clearly realize the bread they eat is the ‘living Bread’ which came down from heaven.
It is impossible to define the exact circumstances of our Lord’s numerous apparitions. Not regularly but frequently, depending on the dispositions of those to whom he appeared. Neither were they at any fixed time or place. At night, sometimes in the day; sometimes in the house or open air.
We learn from these considerations that no occupation, however distracting, will be an obstacle to the dialogue between our soul and God. They are never totally lost even if we have been lengthily deprived of them. To be disposed always to receive them by great purity of heart and fervor must be our main concern.
The apostles and disciples vouched that the appearances were ‘sudden’, ‘unexpected’, and of ‘short duration’. Jesus appeared to them when they least expected him; and almost always, disappeared from their eyes when they were most enjoying his presence and words.
Jesus acted thus, 1) to show us that he reserves these favors for those who are most truly devoted to him; 2) to make us desire his presence and consolations, yet without too great an attachment to them, since they can be neither lasting nor perfect, except in heaven; and 3) that we may keep a constant watch over ourselves, always prepared for his visit.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp268-70
` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `
Mary loses and finds the Child Jesus
“The Mother of God, who looked for her son so anxiously when he was lost through no fault of her own, and experienced such great joy in finding him, will help us retrace our steps and put right whatever may be necessary when, because of our carelessness or our sins, we have been unable to recognize Christ. With her help we will know the happiness of holding him in our arms once more, and telling him we will never lose him again.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 278)
Let us offer our Mother: ‘A good, sincere and sorrowful confession of our sins and failures in the sacrament of Penance.’
Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, pp308-9
To Jesus through Mary’s Rosary
To go to God through Mary is the safest and surest way. God made it so when he invited men to that first adoration in the Grotto of Bethlehem, when Mary presented the God-child to all mankind. He emphasized it at Cana, and confirmed it on Calvary.
St Louis Mary Grignon de Montfort declared that there is only one way to go to Jesus: through Mary, His Mother. And why? The answer is very simple. God, the Almighty Father, did not find a better way to send His Beloved Son into the world than to pass through Mary.
For liturgical Marian feast days, the Church interprets ‘Sir 24:11-31’ as referring to Mary, in the so-called ‘accommodated sense’ of scripture. We must be able to find some expressions that serve to emphasize the spiritual value of the Rosary as a way to go to Jesus.
“I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way, and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all you that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweeter than honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb.” Sir 24:11-31
We find the three characteristics that Christ accommodates to himself when He said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” (Jn 14:6) Inasmuch as Christ came to us by way of Mary, and wants us to go to Him by way of Mary, the Blessed Virgin also can, with all good reason, say: ‘In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me!’
In saying the Rosary we find the surest way to go to Jesus by the safest way, that is, through Mary.
· “Feeling very keenly the needs of the prayers of Christians, we are aware that of all the forms of prayer, that of the Rosary is more than ever necessary, for it not only addresses itself to her through whom it pleased God to send every grace to us, but more than any other prayer it bears the universal stamp of collective and familial prayer.” -- Benedict XV to Rev C Becchi, OP, 18 September 1915.
· “... the Rosary is perfect because of the praise it offers, because of the lessons it imparts, because of the graces it obtains and because of the triumphs it achieves.” -- Pope Benedict XV
· “The Rosary provides the Christian with sustenance with which to nourish and strengthen his faith.” (Encyclical, “Fidentem piumque”, by Pope Leo XIII, 20 September 1896)
Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, pp46, 47
• Dedication of Our Lady of Noyon, by Hardouin, thirty-seventh bishop of the same city, in the year 998. — Chronicon Annoniae, t. iii. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady, Patroness of Bavaria (Munich, Germany). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady, Patroness of Bavaria. Munich 1330. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Bavaria. Germany. www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm
• Our Lady of Bavaria (1330). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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