[Salvation]

Vultus Christi

One must begin with the Mother

Tuesday, 04 February 2014 22:10

The Annonciades, having been obliged to flee their monastery in Bruyères, found a compassionate welcome among the Benedictines of Rambervillers. Profoundly edified, and touched to the quick by the grace of Benedictine life as it was being lived there, Mother Saint John (Catherine de Bar) requested authorisation to leave the Order of the Annonciade for the Order of Saint Benedict. In this text, dating from Catherine de Bar’s Benedictine noviciate (1639–1640) in the monastery of Rambervillers, she reveals the depth of her Marian spirituality, already marked by the exquisite theological sensibility of the École française. Catherine de Bar follows a pious literary convention by referring to herself as “a person.” Certain characteristic Mectildian themes emerge in this text: hiddenness, Jesus Christ inwardly produced in the soul, the value of little devotions faithfully carried out, and utter nothingness in God.  I know that my dear old friend, Monsignor A.B.C. will savour this text; he kept coming to mind as I translated it.

Mary Hidden in Her Son

To the glory and praise of the august and all immaculate Mother of God. A person having confidence in the most holy Mother of God from the beginning of her religious life begged her to teach her how to pray and meditate on the sacred mysteries of Our Lord. One day, being at prayer, in the morning as usual, and wanting to occupy herself inwardly, this person addressed her amiable Mother of goodness as she was accustomed to do. This august Mother of love seemed to disappear. This person, wanted still to see her and to have her as the object reflection; this amiable Mother presented Our Lord Jesus Christ to her, and held herself standing, as it were, behind her divine Son. She made her understand that she was hidden in her Son, and that it was in her power, by her gentle kindness, to produce Him in souls and to make Him known, and that in producing Him in this way, she was even more intimately present to the soul. This grace was the fruit of little devotions and practices carried out in her honour, and the effect of her confidence. This soul was then illumined with regard to the following truths:

What is Given to Mary Goes to God

Firstly, all the duties of love, of tenderness, of confidence, of respect and of fidelity in her service redound unto God in a manner advantageous to the soul. Given that this august Mother of goodness is divinely cast into the very depths of God, all that is done in her honour returns to this, its adorable source. She herself is utterly humbled in God in a manner incomprehensible to our spirits. I daresay and I can give assurance that sincere devotion to the most pure and most immaculate Mother of God is the gateway of salvation and of the interior life.

Tenderness for Mary Leads to Union with Christ

The second truth is that although it really seems that the soul is more attached by tenderness to the most holy Virgin than to God, if the soul is faithful, she will become very learned in the ways of grace, and this tenderness, if it be holy as it ought to be, will never fail to carry the soul to a most intimate union with Our Lord Jesus Christ, and I daresay in a most singular way, because the most holy Mother of God, having no regard for herself cannot hold onto any soul for herself. This is why, of necessity, she casts them all again deeply into Jesus Christ.

Mary Cannot Be Loved Too Much

Might it please God that the whole world know this truth; one would never have a scruple about loving too much the glorious [Lady] sovereign of heaven and of earth. According to my own little experience and the manner by which I learned this, one must begin with the Mother. Then will she lead us to her divine Son. Who has more power to make Him known and to produce Him in us if not she who conceived Him by the operation o the Holy Spirit?

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Touched by Faith

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed again (in the boat) to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, "My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live." He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak.  She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who has touched my clothes?" But his disciples said to him, "You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ´Who touched me?´" And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction."  While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official´s house arrived and said, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?" Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid; just have faith." He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.  So he went in and said to them, "Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep." And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child´s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was.  He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. (At that) they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, who should I turn to first but you? You have given me another day. This gift calls me to come to you first, to hear you first. My faith tells me there can be nothing better than to follow your plan; my hope is to bring you into my life and to other people; my love wants to be fuller and better — it wants to be like yours, Lord.

Petition: Grant me the grace of deeper trust and faith in all moments of hardship.

1. “…afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years.”  When problems are prolonged, or reach fever-pitch levels, we can get the mistaken impression that God has lost interest.  Somehow he seems no longer moved by our misery.  All the signs say he has forgotten us, abandoned us and left us hanging.

But God is only seemingly absent. He is creating a new set of circumstances wherein we can experience him at a wholly new level.  The long, hard and persevering fight to walk in hope enables God to bring about greater fruits of holiness in us.

In the woman with the hemorrhage and in Jairus, father of a dying daughter, we must contemplate a mature and vibrant faith, observing how it conquers pessimism and transcends the cold calculations and superficial tones of their peers.  Truly this is the first miracle we see that Jesus has worked for them, and the most important one.

2. “And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out.” The dismal voices of his “friends” come to the father. Though they have seen the miracle of the woman with the hemorrhage, they coldly say, “Your daughter is dead. Be realistic. It is no use to go on.” True, in the name of realism, we can dismiss hope and cooperation with Christ’s action in our life. We can ridicule Christ whenever he wants to work in mystery and outside our human limits. We can be tempted to abandon trust in God in the name of reaffirming control over our world. “Let’s be realistic,” we say. “It will never work.”  These phrases veil a weak faith, a poor faith, a sterile or compartmentalized faith that works only when everything makes sense to us, when everything is easy.  Where there is this lack of faith, Christ cannot work.  

3. “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Many say they are near Christ, yet few are acknowledged by Christ as close to him. Many were brushing against him that day, many were verbally praising him, many were serving him, but only one touched him and got his full attention. Why? Only one made an act of unconditional faith. What is the secret? How can we really get his attention, truly speak to his heart? None are closer than those who trust him, who humbly depend on him, and who wish to live from him. The woman’s unconditional faith was open to whatever would happen, whatever would be Christ’s response.  Those who suffer and support themselves patiently with faith and prayer experience new levels of union with Christ.

Conversation with Christ: Lord let me use hardships to build newer levels of trust and intimacy with you. Open my heart to seek you on your terms.  

I do not ask you for happiness or sorrow,

Health or sickness,

Riches or poverty,

Freedom or slavery,

Goods or evils;

For goods are misfortunes if you do not come with them,

And misfortunes are goods if they arrive with you.

For goods without you, what good would they be?

And misfortunes with you, are they not the best goods?

Resolution: I will acknowledge the presence of Christ in all the difficulties of today.