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Day 4: WNFIN Challenge

4/11/2017

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Write Non Fiction In November : #WNFIN Day 4

Are you ready for another conundrum of a question? I don't have answers to it, but there's no harm in musing about where possible answers might be found.

Among all of the prophetic strands coming from our Christian brothers and sisters about an unprecedented worldwide revival there is strangely no mention of the Mother of Jesus. Contrast this with the promise from Fatima that we have been waiting 100 years to see fulfilled: "In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph".

I can't see how one can happen without the other, and yet at the same time I can't see how it could happen together - hence the conundrum.

Triumph is all about victory, and in this case victory over evil, sin and the prevailing culture of death. We won’t see the kingdom of God on earth without such a triumph. On the other hand, triumph doesn't come without battle.

Where are the battle fields? There's the battle for each individual heart and mind and soul; the battle for families, communities, tribes, cities and nations, and there's the battles in the fields of politics, entertainment, sport, government, and culture.

Each battle has two components, just like when Israel went out to fight the enemy at Rephidim (Exodus 17-18), there was the battle in the natural with swords, fists, blood and gore and there was the battle in the supernatural with the advantage going to Israel as long as Moses kept his arms raised in prayer.

The battle we face has the same two components, and it cannot be won unless both are being fought in unison. For example in the field of entertainment we need Holy Spirit filled writers, directors, producers and actors to get the movies capable of converting hearts onto the big screen, but at the same time we need the prayer warriors obtaining the blessings of God on the enterprise, protecting it from the assaults of the enemy and winning the grace for hearts to be open to receive the gift of conversion.

Where does the Mother of Jesus fit in all this?

We have the ancient promises in Genesis about the woman crushing the head of the serpent, and the ancient prophecy in Luke about how all generations will call her blessed because the Almighty has done great things for her, and then there's the bit in the Book of Revelation about the powers of evil making war on the children of the woman clothed with the Sun.

We have the Old Testament types of Ruth, Esther, Deborah, Judith and Jael to give us clues. Each of these women was strong in faith and strong in prayer. Of them all, Mary the Mother of Jesus surpasses them all in faith and prayer. Her greatest valour was remaining at the foot of the Cross consenting for her heart to be crucified along with her Son's body. Her tears and sighs at the foot of the Cross are powerful with the heart of God.

In the New Testament we see St Paul talking about Jesus as the head of the Church and about how baptism makes us members of His body, with each member having a specific role and function that benefits the body as a whole. Some will function as arms caring for the sick, some will function as legs spreading the Good News, those called to strengthen others through teaching function as bones, those called to a ministry of suffering and reparation function as liver and kidneys.

The body cannot function without Jesus the head of the Church. Every part is aligned on Him and directed by Him. What connects the head to the body? The neck. That is an analogy of the role of Mary, Mother of Jesus. She is the closest to her Son and she co-operates perfectly with His holy Will. The neck unifies the body under Jesus the head. As a mother she loves each and every person redeemed by the blood of her Son, always seeking the best for each one as she intercedes before God's throne.

The body cannot function in unity without Mary bringing all the members together and uniting them in Jesus. Each dogmatic definition about Mary protects an essential truth about her Son Jesus.

Catholics have no trouble with this. They have meditated long on the Gospel scenes where Mary is present, they recognise her as the pre-eminent model of all the Church is called to be and they know personally, individually and corporately the power of her intercession and the tenderness of her love. To go into battle without her assistance is unthinkable and downright foolish.

What is so second nature to us… is so foreign and alien to our Protestant brothers and sisters. Our Orthodox brothers and sisters have no problem - in fact they often surpass us in honouring the holy Mother of God. Even our Jewish brothers and sisters honour the power of a mother's prayers, especially when death nears.

Of this terrible final battle of our era, the Mother of Jesus is the General of the army of God. We enlist under her banner by honouring her, by imitating her virtues (especially those of chastity, obedience, simplicity and humility), and like St John Paul the Great entrusting ourselves and all that we have to her Immaculate Heart. Totus Tuus, 'totally yours'.

Of these things, the entrustment or consecration of ourselves and all that we have is the most important. In this we follow the example of the baby Jesus who completely and utterly entrusted Himself and His welfare to Mary. In her holy womb Jesus was 100% dependent upon her for everything His human nature required. If Jesus trusted her this much, then there is no higher vouch for her trustworthiness is there?!

"My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God" – that is her Fatima promise. Let's take it seriously.

"Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask graces from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her." Jacinta of Fatima

So let us entrust ourselves, and our Christian brothers and sisters, and this terrible final battle of our era to the Immaculate Heart of Mary the Mother of Jesus. Without her there is no assurance of victory, the Lord himself has said so.

O Mary, Mother of Jesus our Lord and Saviour, after the example of Jesus I entrust myself, my past, my present and my future, all that I have and all that God has given to me into your gentle and secure hands and into your Immaculate Heart. Lead me to my post, my assignment and my role and my cohort in the battle for the kingdom of God on earth. Train me and equip me, and help me to hear, heed and obey all of the battle instructions Jesus transmits through you. With you as our General may we experience the triumph of the battle and bring as many with us as possible through the gates of heaven. Amen.
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Joyful Mysteries of the Immaculate Heart

10/6/2015

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In honour of this year's feast day of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here are some meditations on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary:

The Annunciation

What does the Annunciation teach us about Mary's heart?

It teaches us that her heart was lowly, because she was disturbed by the lofty greeting of the angel. It teaches us that her heart was used to listening because she didn't interrupt the angel's long message. It teaches us that Mary's heart was full of faith because she did not doubt that God could make her a mother. Her only question related to what God required of her to make it happen. This indicates that her heart was willing to follow God's will even if it meant setting aside her virginity. Her answer tells us that she considered herself completely at God's disposal, showing a depth of trust, and her heart's desire that God's plan be fulfilled in her fully according to His wishes and without any desire that she be consulted about the details.

The Visitation

What does the Visitation teach us about Mary's heart?

It teaches us that God only had to make her aware of a situation for her to act upon it. She must have pondered why God told her that her cousin was pregnant, beyond giving her an example of His power to do the seemingly impossible. God left her free to act, and her generous heart decided to do whatever it took to go and assist her cousin. Mary didn't go to Elizabeth with a high and mighty heart, but with a servant's heart willing to all she could to help her cousin in the most awkward months of her pregnancy. When Mary finally arrived she didn't grumble and complain about the journey, but she expressed her praise and thanks to God for His mercy.

The Birth of Jesus

What does the Birth of Jesus teach us about Mary's heart?

In this mystery we have no words of Mary, only her actions. In the face of the rejection and abject poverty which caused her to give birth in a rough stable, Mary does not complain, nor does she make a scene. Her heart accepts whatever God gives her. How happy her heart must have been to see the face of Jesus for the first time! When she gets unexpected guests in the form of smelly shepherds she does not turn them away, but invites them to gaze with her upon the promise of the Father, now made visible. From this we learn how welcoming and hospitable her heart is. Her heart listens carefully to the story they tell and she carefully ponders over it seeking to comprehend all the messages from God it contains.

The Presentation in the Temple

What does the Presentation in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?

Travelling with a new born baby is inconvenient at the best of times, but Mary goes to the Temple to offer her thanks to God as well as her heart in obedience to His law. At the same time that she offers her Son to God through the Jewish ritual of redeeming first born sons from sacrifice, Mary dedicates her whole heart and her whole life to the mission of Jesus. To indicate that her offering is acceptable to God, He sends her Simeon as a messenger, who confirms that the road ahead is full of unimaginable suffering. Yet from her compassionate heart comes no complaint because to not be united with the sufferings of her Son is unthinkable.

The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple

What does the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple teach us about Mary's heart?

To search for a lost child for even an hour is a most horrible experience. To go through that worry for three days would put any mother's sanity to the test. Here the patient heart of Mary is seen, going from person to person, asking the same questions over and over again, describing the appearance of her Son. We see her heart trusting in God's plan despite the darkness of not knowing why and the searing pain of loss. When she sees Him at last in the Temple, she has control of her heart, she doesn't make a scene, but she does ask 'Why?'. Her heart accepts the answer Jesus gives, even though she does not understand it. But she takes this too as a message from God and ponders it in her heart, trusting that with time and prayer some understanding will come. Despite the sorrows she went through and her inability to understand the reason for it, Mary's heart forgives and doesn't retain any bitterness.

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