Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Mary - At The Cross

Beads of Joy 02-23-11
"Mary - At The Cross with Jesus"©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO




My Friends,

It is always so wonderful when we get the chance to chat about our Lord's mother. She has been with Jesus faithfully for thirty three years now; and here she sits at the foot of His cross looking up at her Son who is dying. The love she has for her Son is really showing now, everyone around the cross is looking at her. Some people are asking, "Who is she?" while others are mocking her. "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” John 19:25-26. Mary's love for her Son, is not only that love a mother has for her son in the natural sense; but her love supersedes that because of the fact at who Jesus really is. And that He is God's Son, and yes He is Mary's Son. She knew she would suffer these things, she knew He had to fulfill His Father's will. God sent Jesus to save us, not to just blend into society.

Let us reflect on the heart of a woman that is full of tears, for her Son, a Savior, the Son she loved dearly with all her heart. I can not even imagine what she must have felt looking up at that cross seeing her Son nailed to it. Here in this scene she must have been pondering and remember that simple; yet priceless moments when she would hold her Son. She may have thought about His first words, or and His first smile. How about when a baby begins to realize they can grab and hold things; usually starting that out with grabbing hold of your fingers. Oh how so many of these thoughts must have flowed through her heart at the time of this execution of her Son.

How can we show our love for our Blessed Mother? What can we do in our lives in support of her devout devotion in our Savior? There are a few very simple devotions we can commit to that we allow Mother Mary to be by our side as we strive to be closer and closer to Jesus. Mary will only guide us and help us along the way, but she will also speak to her Son on our behalf. I will share a few simple prayerful ideas to maybe spice up your devotional quest. First we will begin with Angelus. This was my very first devotion to Mary, which was immediately followed by me praying the Rosary. But this simple prayer makes the heart so much more fonder of our Lady. And it's simplicity makes it eventually easy enough to memorize. This prayer can be prayed in many ways. I simply prayer it every morning, before I started my day. It is recommended to be prayed three times a day. 6am, noon, 6pm.

The Angelus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R7FukH0GFA&fea


V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.R. Be it done unto me according to thy word.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.V. And the Word was made Flesh.

R. And dwelt among us.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ Our Lord.R. Amen.
The Angelus
41. What we have to say about the Angelus is meant to be only a simple but earnest exhortation to continue its traditional recitation wherever and whenever possible. The Angelus does not need to be revised, because of its simple structure, its biblical character, its historical origin which links it to the prayer for peace and safety, and its quasi-liturgical rhythm which sanctifies different moments during the day, and because it reminds us of the Paschal Mystery, in which recalling the Incarnation of the Son of God we pray that we may be led "through his passion and cross to the glory of his resurrection."(109) These factors ensure that the Angelus despite the passing of centuries retains an unaltered value and an intact freshness. It is true that certain customs traditionally linked with the recitation of the Angelus have disappeared or can continue only with difficulty in modern life. But these are marginal elements. The value of contemplation on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, of the greeting to the Virgin, and of recourse to her merciful intercession remains unchanged. And despite the changed conditions of the times, for the majority of people there remain unaltered the characteristic periods of the day-morning, noon and evening-which mark the periods of their activity and constitute an invitation to pause in prayer. (Marialis Cultus)

Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Paul VI - Marialis Cultus (Exciting to read)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html

"Jesus, I trust in You."

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And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS


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