faith journey

Beautiful brokenness

As we spend the next several weeks celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, I think most focus on the resurrection itself and less on the body. Now that the painful Passion is behind us, we can bathe in the love and immortality that God bestows on those who believe in His Son. But there is still a body to contend with; how do we understand the risen form of Jesus?

The Gospel of John presents two very different approaches to the resurrected Christ. The first account is of Mary Magdalene who upon recognizing Jesus embraced His feet. His response to her was “Stop holding on to me… .” (John 20:17) It seems a curious address to someone whom He loved. Jesus’ resurrected body, however, was not destined to stay on earth, but rather to return to God, the Father. The message He was conveying to Mary indicated that she should not expect for Him to remain. Jesus rose from the dead to illustrate that death was no longer a punishment, and it was just one part of His mission to reconnect humanity with God.

The second account in John’s Gospel is that of Thomas. (John 20:24-29) Most focus on “doubting Thomas” refusing to believe in the resurrection. Had he not seen Lazarus be returned from the dead at the words of Jesus? Why was it so hard for him to believe? Yet Jesus invites him to probe his wounds. For Mary Magdalene, she was to stop holding onto Jesus, but Thomas was invited to put his fingers in the nail holes and his hand in the side of Jesus that was pierced by the spear. While I feel sorry for Thomas to forever be remembered as someone who doubted Jesus, it is a powerful witness. If even those closest to Jesus had to slowly process the resurrection, it’s okay for those of us now who stumble with some of the facets of faith. When we have these times of doubt, we need to turn more to Jesus and ask Him to help us in our unbelief.

I think many want to believe that when we are resurrected, all our imperfections will be removed. Yet Jesus retained the wounds of His Passion. They may not have bled any longer, or were a source of pain, but they were still present. How is this possible? I’d like to think of it as a spiritual version of kintsugi, a Japanese technique of repairing broken objects with gold lacquer. Most of us, if we have something broken, want to hide the repair as much as possible. But in this repair process, the gold becomes the star of the show. What was once broken can now be used again, and it is beautiful because of the brokenness. Like Jesus, our wounds —physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual — will be healed through Him with a beauty that we cannot conceive. Any thoughts of what we may look like resurrected can only be a product of our limited imagination.

At each Mass we are called to encounter the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus when we receive the Holy Eucharist. It is a celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus as a human person from the moment of His conception and birth as well as His full divine nature of being the Son of God. While the outward appearance of bread and wine remain, the substance is forever transformed into the being of Jesus for us to receive. Here again the priest breaks the host, mingling a piece in the wine before offering to the congregation. While it may seem that Jesus’ body is divided amongst those who receive Him, in a spiritual perspective, we are the gold lacquer that brings His body together when we receive Him and then follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit to do the Father’s will. We bring beauty to Jesus on the cross when we share the love of God with others. And we can only do that when we offer our brokenness to God to heal.

“But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

Deep roots

Happy Passover! No, I haven’t switched religions, but I did attend a seder meal hosted by a local catholic church the day prior to Holy Thursday. While I’ve read a number of books, especially by Dr. Scott Hahn, that dive into the connections between Passover and Mass, I was still surprised that the experience would affect me during the Triduum services. 

I would highly recommend for all Catholics to attend a seder meal at least once in their life if they are ever given the opportunity. Whether it be through a friend or family that is hosting it, or a parish church like the one I attended, as long as you have an English translation of what is being said, you will see the Mass emerge from the celebration. Participation; everyone is called to participate in the meal. While there are responses or actions for specific attendees — like the leader, the mother, and the younger children — many responses are spoken as the gathered community. The seder is a commemoration of the Passover meal the Israelites ate prior to their release from Egyptian slavery. As such, the beginning portion is spent teaching on the importance of remembering this event and thanking God for the deliverance. The Mass is a commemoration of the Last Supper that Jesus shared with His disciples, which happened to be a Passover meal. Having an understanding of the Passover meal, which the seder illustrates, allows Catholics to better appreciate and understand the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

While I do enjoy a small glass of wine with my meal from time to time, hearing that there are four glasses within the seder was a bit intimidating. I can usually make one glass last from appetizer through dessert, so as others were pouring the wine into my glass I appreciated their respect of pouring tiny amounts in my cup. One of the traditions is not pouring your own wine, but allowing others to pour it for you. The first cup, the cup of Blessing, is the first action after the general instructions of why the meal is celebrated. The second cup, the cup of Memory, is specifically aimed at the salvation God procured for the Israelites from their enslavers. One of the points the priest who led the seder meal pointed out was the wording in so many of the prayers, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe…” is similar to the prayer that is said over the bread and the wine after the gifts are presented at Mass, “Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation..” It seemed like each time there was a prayer, it began that way, and I felt I was waiting in anticipation for the events of the Last Supper.

Communion wafers are unleavened bread made from flour and water, and are a close cousin to the matzo that is served at the Passover meal. When the moment arrived for the breaking of the matzo and then consuming it, I thought, “This is it! This is when the Eurcharist was instituted!” And I was only half correct. One half of the Liturgy of the Eurcharist was established at that point in the meal. Poignantly, a portion of the bitter herbs are then eaten, followed by a mixture of both the bitter herbs and the matzo, or bread. Then commences the main meal. For this seder, it was more of a pot luck, so I don’t think a traditional seder would serve fried chicken and macaroni salad, but I did appreciate having a selection of foods from which to choose.

If you thought I’ve forgotten about the other glasses of wine, I have not. It was after the main meal was finished, we had the third cup, the cup of Redemption. I thought it was odd to have a glass of wine after a meal, but since I had food in my stomach and a short ride home, I figured another small glass would not be an issue. Oddly enough, the juxtaposition didn’t sink in until I was at Mass on Holy Thursday and as the priest raised the chalice to consecrate the wine, he said, “…when supper was ended…” YES! It was THIS particular point that Jesus instituted His Precious Blood, creating a New Covenant with not just His disciples present, but with all those who would share in this experience when they, and their successors, would do the same, “… in memory of Me.” This cup of redemption is the Blood that Jesus poured out during His Passion and Death on the Cross. 

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus remarks immediately after blessing and sharing the third cup, that He will not partake of the wine again until He partakes it in the new kingdom of God. It seems odd that Jesus would skip the fourth cup completely during a meal He wanted to share with his Apostles. But the fourth cup is the Cup of Hope and Freedom. And Jesus does drink it again, while on the cross in His final moments, those leading up to His death, which conquers all death and opens the gates of heaven again. The Passover meal didn’t end in the upper room, but rather concluded with the death of Jesus. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. Rather he rose again to show that He is the Lord of all creation and has brought healing and freedom to those who follow His way. 

For me, the best preparation for celebrating Easter has been to celebrate the Passover meal. It provided a perspective of the deep roots and traditions of the faith that have been handed down for thousands of years. The Mass has become more meaningful because of this experience. I’m sure if I am able to attend another seder in the future, it would help me unpack even more riches of the faith and I pray that we all have an opportunity to explore what a seder meal can offer our faith.

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

The final sorrow

It seems fitting that during Holy Week, as we approach the Triduum, we pause to remember the seventh and final sorrow of Mary: Jesus is laid in the tomb. (John 19:39-42)

After a gruesome crucifixion, Jesus was really and truly gone from this life. The only thing left was to bury His remains. And the tomb seems to be a finality of his essence. All that promise of everlasting life, of healing, and of love, now seems lost. 

Due to the solemnity of the sabbath, Jesus had to be hastily buried. Even in the final moments of tending to His body, He could not receive the attentive preparation that was the norm. This must have added insult to pain Mary was already feeling from Jesus’ death. If Mary was there at the foot of the cross, I’m sure she was there at His tomb. Did she help arrange His body inside of the carved rock? Perhaps. Most likely, though, she had to watch as others rolled the large stone that sealed the entrance.

We know Mary had complete trust in God. If this was His will, while she may not have understood it completely, still she tried her best to be the support Jesus needed in His last moments. Did Mary stay and grieve at the rock tomb? I think anyone who has ever buried a loved one can have empathy for what Mary felt at that moment. The question of lingering because you don’t want to completely say goodbye, but knowing that there is nothing you can do and staying there staring at the gravesite will change nothing. Jesus did not leave her completely alone, as He put her into the care of the beloved apostle John. 

Mary still had a purpose on earth, and the first step was to keep living. That in itself can be its own sorrow — moving on when such a large portion of your life is absent. Even if Mary had understood all of Jesus’ teachings and knew He would rise again in three days, the pain of seeing Jesus being tortured to death may not have allowed Mary to focus on that future event. While the Acts of the Apostles record Mary as being present at Pentecost, perhaps that was not the only time the Apostles gathered around her. Maybe God allowed her to be present and be the unifying element for the Apostles in the time immediately after Jesus’ burial. Gathering around her, they would have shared their common grief and their common hope in God’s will. 

While most of the Apostles were looking for an earthly kingdom, the burial of Jesus gave them time to reflect on the time they spent with Jesus and all that He communicated to them. I can imagine the eleven men, maybe more and perhaps with the women who accompanied the traveling party, simultaneously shedding tears and recalling the events that had the most impact on them. This time of “remember when …” would be the first oral Gospel as they shared the memories, maybe even mingling some laughter in with the tears.

“…for nothing will be impossible for God,” the angel had told Mary at the Annunciation. (Lk 1:37) Those words ran deeper than just the incarnation of Jesus or the fruitfulness of her barren relative Elizabeth. God had given Mary the ability to cope with being exiled in Egypt, with losing Jesus in the Temple in His last vestige of childhood, with prompting Jesus to perform His first miracle, and with everything He accomplished in His ministry, even to His passion and death. I wouldn’t be disappointed if Mary felt overwhelmed with these last events, and perhaps it would make her seem more relatable if she did. However, in our moments of greatest trials, God has given us Mary as a role model to follow in trusting Him. When in our toughest challenges we can say that all things are possible for God and we can get through this, we do so because of what was shared in the Gospels about Mary.

The stone rolled to seal Jesus in His tomb, while it may have seemed final, was not the end of the story. Mary didn’t know how the story would end, but we do. We know that life does not simply end on earth, but the soul continues to live on and can potentially be in the presence of God and all who love Him. The tomb is the final sorrow, because what comes next will overwhelm any pain or trial. But to get there, Mary and all the disciples needed to lean on God for strength and support. They needed to trust in His will. 

Let us pray this Holy Week that we too, may trust in God even when things seem impossible, and ask Mary to help lead us through the finality of the tomb-like darkness we experience in this life. 

Back in her arms

In the first moments of His life, Mary held the baby Jesus. And after being taken down from the cross, Jesus’ body was  placed in her arms. It had come full circle. The sixth sorrow of Mary is Jesus being taken down from the cross. 

Over the years I’ve read many reflections upon the crucifixion, and it is significant to note that in this instance, the body of Jesus was removed from the cross. Usually the point of a crucifixion is to be a deterrent for others. The Romans wanted the bodies to be hung for the maximum amount of time to dissuade others from repeating the crimes of those who hung on the cross. Crucifixions always took place in a highly visible area, just outside of the city or town, so that as many people as possible could see them. It could take several days for a person to die on a cross. The bodies were left hanging for all to see and the scavenger birds picked at the remains. Guards were often stationed there to prevent families from removing and burying the bodies. For Pilate to grant Joseph of Arimathea permission to remove the body was surprising from the perspective of Roman tradition. However, since Pilate had not wanted to crucify Jesus, granting this favor may have been a way Pilate sought to relieve his guilt of his part in the death of an innocent man.

While the Gospels do not specifically state Mary’s presence during this event, each does describe the burial of Jesus beginning with Joseph of Arimathea receiving permission to remove and bury the body. But if Mary was present at the foot of the cross, how could she not be involved with His burial? With the strength and grace she received from God for this moment, it is only logical that she would cradle her Child one last time. As part of the stations of the cross, many depict Jesus removed from the cross and being placed in Mary’s arms. Perhaps the most iconic image of this is The Madonna della Pietà, informally known as La Pietà, a marble sculpture of Jesus and Mary located in the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Basilica. Here a larger-than-life Mary holds Jesus’ lifeless body, with her serene demeanor illustrating her trust that this was God’s will. Jesus’ passionate suffering had come to a conclusion. Her suffering, however, lingered. She must face each moment now without Him. 

Mary keenly understands loss: the loss of a loved one, the loss of a child, and the loss of a family member convicted of a crime. We may not see her tears on the Pietà, but even with her trust in God, I’m sure she shed her fair share of them; just the sheer overwhelming emotion of Jesus’ Passion and Death would cause that. Sorrow and grief can only be relieved when we share the pain with others, otherwise it becomes a burden too heavy to carry. 

In these last days before Holy Week, let us pray to Mary to share her sorrowful burden, as well as for her to help us with ours. She is our mother too and wants to aid us in all our needs, carrying us in her arms like she did Jesus. 

The piercing moment

The fifth sorrow of Mary seems like it should be the last, but it is not.  It is, however,  the pinnacle of the life of Jesus. He was born of Mary to be crucified. His first throne was a manger; His last the cross. And Mary was there for it all. 

In reviewing each of the Gospels for this post, I found it interesting that Matthew and Mark mention several women named Mary, but not Jesus’ mother. Luke only mentions that the women who followed Jesus were there in the distance. How ironic that all the writers mention the women present at the crucifixion. Yet, it is John’s gospel that provides us with the exchange that Jesus gave to both John and Mary (John 19:26-27). How could her heart not ache with all the sufferings that Jesus had endured? This must have been the moment she remembered Simeon’s prophecy of the sword piercing her heart; yet she stood by the foot of the cross for her Son. 

If only it was just a moment. From the agony and arrest in the garden, to the trial by the Jewish and Roman leaders, then the scourging and crowning with thorns, followed by the carrying of the cross, Jesus had been through more than any human could endure. He was in the final stage of His Passion: nailed to a cross, lifted up and naked, condemned to a criminal’s death. The Roman soldiers passed the time by gambling for His garments. Others jeered and made fun of Him. Forgotten were all the miracles He performed. His only supporters were the youngest apostle and the women who assisted in His ministry. Did Mary know that Jesus was going to die? Did she stand at the cross hoping for a miracle? Perhaps. However, she said yes to God’s will before conceiving of Jesus, what else could she do but place Jesus into the hands of His Heavenly Father? Both Mary and Jesus put God’s will first, even though it had resulted in the death of Jesus. 

All too soon during this Lent, will be Passion Sunday, where Jesus’ Passion and Death are proclaimed as the gospel reading. I think it’s only human nature to want to get through it as quickly as possible. Not because it’s a long reading, but because it reminds us of what price Jesus paid for our sins. The price He paid so that we could have a relationship with Him, with God our Father, and with the Holy Spirit. Too often we overemphasize Jesus’ resurrection, and to some degree, we should. But we also need to remember that in order to rise, Jesus had to die. And He didn’t just die quickly and rise immediately. Jesus suffered many types of torture: mental, physical, and emotional before His death. He stayed dead for three days to illustrate that He truly died, and it wasn’t just a coma or trance that He experienced. 

As we journey through these last few weeks of Lent, let us offer up our sacrifices and penances to Mary as a symbolic way to keep her company as she stood by the foot of the cross. Perhaps she can, in turn, present them to God to assist and comfort those who are in mourning. Mary, Mother of Sorrows, pray for us. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Journey to a new beginning

Mary only observed the effects of Jesus’ scourging: the blood soaked through His clothes as He walked towards the place of His death. Yet the events of Jesus’ Passion and Death would provide many moments where the sword that Simeon prophesied would pierce deeply. The fourth sorrow of Mary is watching Jesus as He carried the cross towards His execution. 

While the Gospels don’t mention Jesus meeting Mary during His struggle to Golgotha, according to an article on EWTN, it is based on tradition that this event indeed occurred. The Gospels do indicate that Mary was at the foot of the cross, so she would have had to travel the same/similar road herself to get there. It is plausible that whether they were near enough to touch one another, or only close enough to make eye contact, they could have very well met on that road.

Was Mary amongst the crowd that was stirred up by the Pharisees at the praetorium? Did she hear them call for the release of Barabbas? Did she witness the crowd calling for Jesus to be crucified like a criminal? Tradition and the Gospels are silent on how much Mary observed prior to the actual death of Jesus. However, the tradition of Jesus meeting Mary as He carried the cross evokes a painful reunion for both. Mary watched Jesus grow from a little baby to an adult man, who was ready to give His life for the salvation of souls. She saw the precious Blood staining the woven garments He wore, potentially ones that she made with her own two hands. She saw the depth of depravity by the soldiers in the crown of thorns piercing His head. The protruding wood of the cross He carried was unmistakable. 

While the first three sorrows of Mary marked occasions in Jesus’ childhood, there are no mentions in the Gospel of His adolescence or in His ministry that was a cause of sorrow for Mary. I’m sure there were times, like in so many families, where Jesus’ words or actions could have been challenging for a mother. Mary assented to God’s will at the time of His conception. Her ability to do so illustrates her great trust in God. Mary knew Jesus was not an ordinary baby who would have an ordinary life. When the time for His ministry came about, she encouraged His first miracle. Still, being an itinerant teacher must have brought challenges and discouragements on occasion. But were those instances enough to prepare her for what was to come? As much as Jesus tried to prepare the disciples, most of them fled at His arrest. The Gospels capture Jesus indicating the Resurrection, something that we are familiar with, to be a concept that was foreign to His followers (Mark 9:10). Even if Mary was aware of what was to come, future joy is very hard to see when the current pain and suffering are so overwhelming.

The way of the cross seemed to be the end. After all, is there anything more final than death? Well, for God, death is not the last word. Rather it is a tool used to illustrate the power, and the love, of God. It shows that God is far beyond our being and that He has control even over something that seems so final to us. As Jesus walks towards Golgotha, it is not a journey to His end, but rather to a new beginning. As Christians, we too, will walk through the valley of death, but our baptism promises us that our soul will live on. If we choose to trust God and His will for us, our relationship with Him will be transformed beyond our wildest imagination. And at the end of time, our souls will be reunited with our bodies, so that in both body and soul, we can share in the love that God is, as it flows from Father to Son to Holy Spirit. 

We are almost at the half-way point of Lent. Regardless of how challenging or overwhelming our practices are this year, it’s not too late to reach out to Mary for assistance as we strive to grow closer to God and recognize what is prohibiting us from embracing God’s will. No matter the pain and sorrow we will face, Mary will walk us through until we reach the joy of Jesus. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Searching for Jesus

We are all searching for Jesus in our lives. And in one instance, Mary and Joseph were no different. They, with Jesus,  followed the custom they had been following each year, making their annual trip to Jerusalem and back. Only on the way back, it wasn’t like all the times previous. Jesus didn’t leave with the rest of His earthly relatives. The search was on.

At the cusp of adulthood but not quite there, Jesus had stayed behind in the Temple. At 12 years old, He was old enough to be responsible for Himself and His actions, but not quite old enough to be on His own. Yet He knew who He was and what He was being called to do. His parents, however, did not. We are only given a summary of the events in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 2:41-51). In the English translation, it’s hard to pinpoint just how many days Jesus was separated from Mary and Joseph. “…But supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple…” If Mary and Joseph traveled a whole day and presumably it would take another day’s journey to return, are those days included in the three days? A separation of three days would be hard enough, but if the travel time is added onto that, then five days of separation must have seemed like an eternity to them! 

Mary and Joseph did a fair amount of traveling during Jesus’ youth. First, they traveled to Bethlehem where He was born. Then they lived in Egyptian exile while King Herod, who tried to kill Jesus, reigned in Jerusalem. They then returned to Nazareth although scripture does not tell us how old He was at the time of His return. Still, if the family had a “custom” to travel to Jerusalem yearly, I would say that journey would need to happen about five or six times in order to consider it a “custom.” After the journeys to Egypt and Nazareth, traveling with friends and relatives yearly must have been a welcome change. People were safer when they were in a group. But it also gave time to chat in a way that probably didn’t happen on a daily basis. What may have been a relaxed and enjoyable trip turned. Did Mary and Joseph travel back at night? They did flee to Egypt in the middle of the night, so it is possible. Or did they wait until morning and, as they made their return trip, did they seek Jesus in the groups that left after their party? That may have slowed their return, talking to various groups of people they encountered. Most likely, they traveled by themselves, just the two of them. 

Where did they look for Jesus in Jerusalem? Did they go back to where they stayed? Was the Temple the first place they looked or the last, after many other locations? If it actually took three days to find Jesus after they returned to Jerusalem, then the Temple was the last place they looked. It must have been such a relief to find Him and know that He was safe. When Mary asked for an explanation as to why, Jesus’ answer of attending His Father’s business was not immediately understood by them. Perhaps it took until Jesus started His preaching mission, or maybe it was at the foot of the cross that His statement began to make sense? It could have taken until after the resurrection and ascension that Mary was able to reflect on this to really understand why this event happened. 

Jesus is with us every moment of every day, yet our busy lives don’t allow us to recognize His presence. When we feel far away from Him, we need to seek Him. It may take minutes or hours or days to realize He is right there with us. When we find Him we may not understand why it took so long or why we find Him in whatever place we do. And we may not understand the answer when we immediately receive it. Mary and Joseph make up two-thirds of the Holy Family, yet they understand what it means to be separated from and to seek Jesus. Lent is a perfect opportunity to proactively practice seeking Jesus on a daily basis. Abstaining from obstacles that interrupt our hunger for God in our life will allow us to be more open to hearing God and knowing what next step to take to become closer to Him. Let us not wait until He is a “full day’s journey” from us, but rather seek Him in “His Father’s house.” Jesus is waiting at every church and in every tabernacle that contains the consecrated hosts. Let us not just look for Jesus, but let’s find Him!

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Life on the run

So, to continue on from last week… the second sorrow of Mary is the flight into Egypt. While Matthew’s Gospel addresses it only in a few short lines, (Matt 2:13-21), there is much to ponder within the text provided.

Joseph was warned in a dream to take his family and depart to Egypt. Upon rising in the middle of the night, they left. Did Joseph need to awaken Mary or was she awake and tending to Jesus? Can you imagine having your sleep disturbed only to find out you need to leave on a long journey immediately? Even if she was awake, the dreadful news that the precious Child was in danger must have been disturbing to hear. With a destination of Egypt, a place where the Israelites had fled from slavery, Mary, and Joseph too, had to put all their trust in God. Just because they were caring for the Son of God, didn’t mean they would have an easy road. The detour to Egypt probably had a number of challenges, especially since they didn’t have the time to prepare for the journey. Yet, it was for the protection of Jesus, and so they made the trip.

Aliens. No, not the kind from outer space but rather those who travel from one country to seek asylum in another, safer country. That’s what the Holy Family were: aliens in Egypt. Moving to another country where you need to learn a new language, new customs, and a new way of life is challenging for anyone, but to do it with an infant surely poses many difficulties that most may not even be able to imagine. They had no friends or relatives that could help them get started, just the grace of God. If the reception at Bethlehem, among their kinfolk, left them out with the animals, what kind of welcome did they receive in Egypt? Were they looked upon with suspicion? Did the Egyptian people gossip about this strange family coming from a foreign land into theirs, wondering why they left their own homeland? Especially since Mary and Joseph were devout Jews, they must have been totally out-of-place there. Were there any synagogues there? Were they able to have a little taste of home and worship in the manner they did when living in Israel? 

News does travel fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they heard about the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem and realized that if they had stayed, Jesus would have been one of them. As a new mom, Mary must have been heartbroken to learn about all the needless killing; all the mothers who lost their sons while she still had Jesus. Relief and anguish all rolled up together, and she could do nothing to comfort those women. Nothing to let them know that the Child their sons died for was safe and why it was so important that He remain so. Jesus was safe for the moment, but the time would come when Mary would need to let Him go, watching as He suffered and died for us all.

As we journey through this Lent, let us keep in mind that there are those who don’t speak our language and are looking for a safer place to live. Let us remember that when we treat them with the dignity of being a child of God, we honor the sacrifice the Holy Family made in their time of exile into Egypt. Let us look at the excess we have in our closets and pantry and see how we can donate to others who need it more than we do, no matter what circumstances cause their need. Let us comfort those who have lost loved ones, especially their children, with our prayers, our friendship, and a shoulder to cry on. Lent is an opportunity to practice mercy towards others. Let us open our hearts and ask God what we can do to help those in need.

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Prophecy of the sword

As we begin our Lenten journey, I thought a good way to “travel” it this year would be to reflect on the seven sorrows of Mary. While I may have addressed or referenced these events in other posts, I’d like to concentrate on these as a guide within the Lenten season. 

The first sorrow of Mary’s is the Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:34-35). It is only 40 days after Jesus’ birth.

…and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Lk 2:34-35

It all began with a visit from an angel, then Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, then for Mary to become part of Joseph’s household, and finally their journey to Bethlehem, where the birth took place. That’s quite a lot to happen in less than a year! Some of these things would be wonderful, like the visit with Elizabeth. Some may have been a bit more stressful like the relationship with Joseph and the travel to Bethlehem. Could Mary think of some of these events she’s already lived through as “sword-piercing?” Or did she think of all the hazards that parents encounter when raising a child, let alone the Son of God? 

Perhaps Mary thought about the various judges and prophets from the Old Testament. While some were looked upon favorably, all had warning messages to give to people who were less than willing to listen. Who wants to be told they are living their life incorrectly? Being a devout Jewish woman, Mary would have known all the stories very well, and probably understood them better than we do today. She was living in the land where they occurred, and would have understood the nuances within the text. The scriptures were written in her language, so there was nothing that could be “lost in translation.” 

At just 40 days old, Jesus had His whole life ahead of Him. There was no way that Mary could understand the gravity of the prophecy Simeon was making. But she didn’t let it stop her from raising Jesus. She had claimed herself as the Lord’s handmaid and she lived out that vow. Mary was also a very young woman at the time. While she may not have understood the prophecy, she probably remembered it as each trial event occurred. 

As we begin this Lent, we know that there will be trials to live out with whatever practice(s) we have identified for this season. The whole point of a Lenten practice is to challenge ourselves, to go deeper into our faith. No matter what avenue we choose — prayers, fasting, pennances, or almsgiving — it will bring an experience of suffering. However, if we seek Mary’s patronage this Lent, uniting our trials to her sorrows, we can receive the consolation that only a spiritual mother can impart upon us. No sword can piece us as strongly as the one Mary had to endure. Yet even now Mary does not rest in her heavenly home, but rather keeps watch on all her spiritual children visiting and intervening at times when circumstances will be most fruitful. 

While the sword of the prophecy is metaphorical, the damage is just as painful as from a physical sword. Let us call on Mary to lead us this Lenten journey, through whatever sorrow and pain there may be, into the arms of her beloved Son, Jesus. 

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Random acts of prayer

We are just a week away from the beginning of Lent. And I’ve already begun to see Catholic blog headlines saying not to give up chocolate for the penitential season, but to add something to one’s prayer routine, like a seasonal meditation or scripture reading. However, I suggest adding something that you can continue well after the Lent is over: random acts of prayer.

Yes, you read that correctly. I said random acts of prayer and not random acts of kindness. What’s the difference? When we are kind to another, we make the choice of what and how to be kind. For example, holding open the door for someone who is behind us as we enter a building. Is it a nice thing to do? Surely! However, random acts of prayer are when we leave the kind action up to God. This is when we drive by a house, say a prayer and ask God to bless whomever lives there in what they need the most. There are so many times when we ask God for specific things, like a job for one person or healing for another. While those folks may need those things, it may not be their most pressing need. How awesome is it to let the God who created the entire universe with all its diversity,  decide how best to bless a person? 

In praying for another in the random way, we have no idea of the outcome. Perhaps when we go to heaven, we’ll find out the impact of all these random prayers. Even if we never know, it’s good for our soul to pray for others in this anonymous way. First, it makes us be aware of our surroundings — that there are children of God in a building, car, or park that need His blessings just as much as we do. Second, it reminds us that we don’t have control over everything. One aspect of original sin was that Adam and Eve were not just looking at tasty fruit, but to gain more knowledge and control. Third, it gives us the opportunity to “let go and let God” handle it, which requires regular practice. Lastly, it reminds us of all the ways God has blessed us in seemingly random ways. Some may refer to these circumstances as coincidence, but I see them as an opportunity God uses to get our attention. 

Usually my random acts of prayer have been made while driving. Whenever someone is kind and allows me to merge onto the highway or lets me go at a stop sign, I do try to say a Hail Mary or Glory Be and ask God to bless them in some way during the day. Sometimes I wonder what that blessing is: a close parking spot at their destination, or green traffic lights all the way. This is probably the easiest way to practice this type of prayer because we will never know the impact of our prayer said for that driver. But random acts of prayer can be practiced anywhere, in any circumstance. For instance, the next time you’re at the grocery store, you can silently say a prayer for another customer or the clerk while they ring up your order. But we don’t even need to leave the house to practice praying like this. Maybe we ask God to bless the person in the world who needs it the most at that moment of our prayer. The randomness of whom we choose is only limited to our imagination. 

I believe God answers all prayers. I trust that He knows better than I do what another needs. But by specifically praying for another in this random and anonymous way, I create a spiritual bond with someone I may not meet until we’re in heaven. And what a joyful day that will be!