“All with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus” (Acts 1:14) while they awaited the coming of the promised Holy Spirit. They are in the Cenacle, inspired by the same love and hope. Tradition sees Mary’s presence the anticipation of her motherhood for the whole Church.
“The era of the Church began with the ‘coming’, with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles gathered in the upper Room in Jerusalem, with Mary, ...” (John Paul II, “Dominum et vivificantem”, 18 May 1986, 25)
Our Lady lives what is like a second Advent, an expectation for the Holy Spirit’s full communication of his gifts to the newborn Church. This Advent is very like and very different from the first, the birth of Jesus. In both we find prayer, recollection, faith in the promise and a burning desire that the promise be fulfilled.
Mary, bearing Jesus in her womb, remained in silent contemplation. Now our Lady lives deeply united to her glorified Son. (cf M D Philippe, “The Mystery of Mary”, Madrid) In the first Advent, the Virgin alone lived for the promise fulfilled in her womb. Here she waits accompanied by the Apostles and the holy women.
“Mary, who conceived through the workings of the Holy Spirit, the love of the living God, presides over the birth of the Church on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit Himself descends upon the disciples and pours out life in unity and in charity upon the Mystical Body of Christians.” (Paul VI, “Address”, 25 October 1969)
The resolution of our prayer is to await the coming of the Paraclete, closely united to our Mother “by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation”. (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 59)
She gave us her Son at the start of the Redemption and “now by her most powerful intercession obtained for the newborn Church the prodigious Pentecostal outpouring of that Spirit of the Divine Redeemer who had already been given on the Cross”. (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 29 June 1943)
Mary is our path to a better disposition for greater friendship with the Paraclete and greater docility to his inspirations. The Apostles understood; thus we see them beside her in the Cenacle. Let us, therefore, examine the quality of our habitual relationship with Mary.
We must take greater care in reciting the Holy Rosary, contemplating its mysteries. Let us offer her some small sacrifice, different from what we customarily make during the week. Let us show greater affection in greeting her, through her images in the street or in our room.
Mary, “God’s masterpiece” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 292), had been prepared by the Holy Spirit to be the living tabernacle of the Son of God. During her life she grew continually in love for God the Father, God the Son (‘her’ son Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. She corresponded to all the inspirations and motions of the Paraclete.
The Holy Spirit, who had lived in Mary since the mystery of her Immaculate Conception, came on Pentecost to dwell in her in a new way. All the promises Jesus had made about the Paraclete are fulfilled in her soul. The Blessed Virgin is the creature God loves most.
As for us, despite our many offences He receives us as the father receives the prodigal son. Though we are sinners He loves us with an infinite love and fills us with gifts as often as we correspond with his graces.
After Pentecost our Lady is “as it were, the heart of the infant Church!” (R Garrigou-Lagrange, “The Mother of the Saviour”) The Holy Spirit, who had prepared her to be the Mother of God, now at Pentecost disposes her to be Mother of the Church and of each one of us. Our Lady, cooperating actively with the Holy Spirit in souls, exercises her maternity over all her children.
Thus, she is proclaimed Mother of the Church, “... Mother of the whole People of God, as much of the faithful as of the Pastors, who call her loving Mother. And we wish that from now on she be honoured and invoked by the whole Christian people with this most pleasing title.” (Paul VI, “Address to the Council”, 2 September 1964)
Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Help us prepare for the Paraclete’s coming into our souls.
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:585-90
` ` ` MAY DEVOTIONS ` ` `
Mary is the Channel of Grace -- “Her power before God is such that she can obtain anything we ask for, and, like any mother, she wants to answer our prayers. Like any mother also, she knows and understands our weaknesses. She encourages us and makes excuses for us. She makes the way easy for us and, even when we think there is no possible solution for our worry, she always has one ready to offer us.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 292)
Let us offer our Mother: ‘A visit or conversation with someone we want to encourage to go to Confession.’
Ref: Fr Charles Belmonte and Fr James Socias (Eds), “Handbook of Prayers”, 1988, p314
Decreed in perpetuity: The Feast of the Holy Rosary
Pope Clement XI (1700-1721), after another victory of the Christians over the Turks in Hungary (5 August 1716) under Emperor Charles VI, and following the liberation of Cercyra Island (Corfu), renamed the feast of ‘Our Lady of Victory’ into the ‘Feast of the Holy Rosary’.
Pope Leo XIII (Pope of the Rosary) established for this Feast a proper office and Mass; and added to the Litany of the Most Blessed Virgin the invocation: ‘Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!’
Finally, Pope Paul VI, on 5 March 1971, decreed that this solemnity be celebrated, in perpetuity, every year on 7 October throughout the Universal Church.
All this was done to perpetuate the memory of the Virgin’s protection through the Rosary devotion.
Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p49
Our Lady -- “Devotion to Our Lady in Christian souls awakens the supernatural stimulus we need in order to act like ‘domestici Dei’, as members of God’s family.” (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 587)
• Our Lady of Miracles, at St Omer’s, where a glove and some portion of the hair of the Blessed Virgin are preserved. — (Chronicon Bertinense. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com)
• Our Lady of Miracles. St Onier, Belgium; Brescia, Italy. 1478. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• Our Lady of Miracles (St Onier, Belgium). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Miracles of Brescia, Italy (1478). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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