3rd Day - At the Cross

40 DAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

DAY THREE – THE THOUGHTS OF THE MOTHER OF GOD

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. John 19:25

Most people experiencing such persecution would encounter thoughts of confusion, anger and denial. Such encounters are very difficult to understand and the temptation to irrational and confused thinking would be strong. So what was going through the mind of our Blessed Mother?

Mother Mary not only had an Immaculate Heart, she also had a mind that was sharpened with the perfection of faith. In her faith she may not have had the same knowledge and understanding as she has now in Heaven, but her faith was such that she knew this horror was permitted by the will of the Father. Her mind would have grasped the deepest truth that her Son was fulfilling His divine mission. She would have known that this tragedy was not a tragedy at all; rather, it was the greatest act of love ever known.

Mother Mary’s faith would have mixed with the pain she felt in that moment. Her faith would have been a source of great confidence as she was tempted to despair. Her faith would have transformed all temptations into clarity and conviction. In the end, she would have conquered her temptations by the truth revealed to her from the mind of God.

In our own lives, suffering leaves us confused and uncertain. It tempts us to lose faith and to doubt the perfect will of the Father in Heaven. We must learn from the witness of our Blessed Mother as she allowed the truth to direct her thinking as she faced her Son’s suffering. Only the truth could set her free to understand and shed every temptation to doubt the wisdom of God.

Reflect, today, upon the perfect faith of our Blessed Mother. Her faith was an absolutely certain knowledge that God was in control and that the will of the Father was being achieved before her very eyes. Worldly wisdom was left with an impossible task of making sense of such cruelty. But Heavenly wisdom took over as she consented to the death of her Son for the salvation of the World.

Dear Mother, so many times in life I am tempted to doubt the ways of God. My own crosses, and those of my loved ones, can leave me confused. Pray for me that I may have your perfect faith as I go through this world of suffering and pain. May I never be deterred by the temptations that come from worldly wisdom alone, but instead allow the truth of Heavenly wisdom to flood my mind and give direction to my life.

Precious Jesus, You allowed Your Immaculate Mother to witness the excruciating pain of Your Cross. But You also bestowed upon her Heavenly insight and knowledge so as to help bring clarity to her mind. Pour forth this same knowledge upon me and upon all mankind. Help us to know You and Your perfect will in all things. 

Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

2nd Day - At the Cross

40 DAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

DAY TWO – THE STRENGTH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. John 19:25

Again, today, we look at this most sacred scene of the Mother of Jesus standing at the foot of the Cross. Note that John’s Gospel says she was “standing.”

There is little doubt that the human emotion Mother Mary felt was extreme and intense. Her heart was broken and pierced as she gazed upon her dear Son hanging upon the Cross. But as she gazed upon Him, she stood.

The fact that she stood is significant. It is a small and subtle way by which this Gospel passage depicts her strength in the midst of great personal pain. Nothing could be more devastating than for her to witness such brutality toward the one whom she loved with her whole heart. Yet, in the midst of this excruciating pain, she did not give in to her grief or fall into despair. She stood, with the utmost strength, faithfully fulfilling a mother’s love until the end.

Our Blessed Mother’s strength at the foot of the Cross is rooted in a heart that is immaculate in every way. Her heart was immaculate in love, perfectly strong, perfectly faithful, unwavering in determination, and imbued with unfailing hope in the midst of earthly chaos. From the perspective of the world, the greatest tragedy possible was befalling her Son. But from the perspective of Heaven, she was being invited at the same moment to manifest the pure love of her Immaculate Heart.

Only a heart that loved with perfection could be so strong. The hope, in particular, that would have been alive within her heart was awe-inspiring and glorious. How does one have hope and strength like this in the face of such pain? There is only one way and it is the way of love. The pure and holy love in the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother was perfect.

Reflect, today, upon the strength of the heart of our Blessed Mother. Gaze upon the love she had for her Son and allow yourself to be drawn into awe of this pure and holy love. When you find pain in your life to be intense and overwhelming, remember the love in the Heart of this mother. Pray that her heart will inspire yours and that her strength will become your strength as you seek to face the crosses and hardships of life.

My most loving Mother, draw me into the purity and strength of your heart. You stood at the foot of the Cross, gazing upon your Son as He was so cruelly treated. Invite me into your heart of perfect love, so that I may be inspired by you and strengthened by your glorious witness.

My dear Mother, as you stood at the foot of the Cross, you set an example for all people. There is no better place to be than the foot of the Cross. Help me to never turn away from the Cross, hiding in fear, pain or despair. Free me from my weakness and pray for me that I may imitate the strength of the love of your heart.

Precious Lord, as You hung upon the Cross, You allowed the love of Your Heart to unite with the heart of Your mother. Invite me into this shared love, so that I may also be united with You in Your pain and suffering. May I never take my eyes off of You, dear Lord. 

Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

1st Day - At the Cross

40 DAYS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

DAY ONE – A MOTHER'S  LOVE

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. John 19:25

This is one of the most widely depicted scenes in sacred art throughout the centuries. It’s the image of the Mother of Jesus standing at the foot of the Cross with two other women. Saint John, the beloved disciple, was also there with them.

This scene is far more than merely an image of the salvation of the world. It is more than the Son of God offering His life for us all. It is more than the greatest act of sacrificial love ever known to the world. It is so much more.

What else does this scene depict? It depicts the most tender love of a human mother as she stands gazing at her own dear Son, dying a horrific death and agonizing with the greatest suffering. Yes, Mary is the Mother of God and Jesus is the Son of God. She is the Immaculate Conception, conceived without sin, and He is the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. But He is also her Son and she is also His mother. Thus, this scene is deeply personal, intimate and familial.

Try to imagine the human emotion and experience that both mother and Son endured at this moment. Imagine the pain and suffering in the heart of the mother as she stood gazing upon the brutal treatment of her own Child whom she raised, loved and cared for throughout His life. Jesus was not only the Savior of the World to her. He was her own flesh and blood.

Reflect, today, upon one aspect of this sacred scene. Look at the human bond of this mother and her Son. Set aside, momentarily, the divinity of the Son and the immaculate nature of the mother. Look only upon the human bond they share. She is His mother. He is her Son. Ponder this bond today. As you do, try to let this glimpse penetrate your own heart so that you can begin to feel the love that they shared.

Dearest Mother, you stood at the foot of the Cross of your Son. Though He was God, He was first your Son. You bore Him, raised Him, cared for Him and loved Him throughout His human life. Then, you stood gazing at His bruised and beaten body. 

Dearest Mother, you invite me into this mystery of your love for your Son, this day. You invite me to stand by you as you stood by your Son. I accept this invitation. The mystery and depth of your love for your Son is beyond comprehension. But, nonetheless, I accept your invitation to join you in this gaze of love.

Precious Lord, Jesus, I see You, gaze upon You and love You. As I begin this journey with You and Your dear mother, help me to begin on a human level. Help me to begin seeing all that You and Your mother shared. I accept Your profound invitation to enter into the mystery of this holy and human love. 

Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.

Losing Faith in God?

 

Q. Losing Faith in God?

Q. My brother has told me he doesn’t believe in God anymore. I know he hasn’t told our parents, and he’s still going to Mass and Communion with us. What should I do?

A. First of all, it shows that you love your brother quite a bit to be concerned about this. That’s a good thing. Keep that love for him strong. Sincere love can often do far more than any words.

Without knowing the specifics of your brother’s situation allow me to offer some general thoughts on this in the hope that at least some of these thoughts will help.

Interestingly, going through a faze like this while growing up could actually be a sign of a good thing. Sure, it’s never good to lose faith in God. But I wonder if something deeper isn’t happening. What I mean is that, in some ways, this is a very normal part of growing up. As a child we are taught to believe in God and usually we do. We have the simple and authentic faith of a child. As we grow and mature that faith must also grow and mature and we must choose to believe on a deeper and more personal level. In other words, we must believe because we really do believe. The problem is that sometimes things get in the way of that process.

For example, something heard on TV or perhaps even said in the classroom may have had the effect of confusing your brother about some aspect of his faith. Though it’s not good to be confused, often the “confusion” one goes through is a result of trying to figure things out and understand. I think that this process of “doubting” is often more of a time a “questioning.” Perhaps your brother told you he no longer believes because he was looking for you to help him to believe. Perhaps it was even his way of asking for help in sorting things out.

If that’s the case then I suggest one of the best approaches for you to take is this. Wait for your brother to say something about this again and when he does simply smile and gently ask him to tell you more. And then just listen. Listen to what made him think this way. Let him explain it. Let him talk about it. Regardless of what he says I would encourage you to spend most of the time listening and trying to understand. If he makes some good points and you have a good answer then go ahead and offer that answer if he will listen. If, on the other hand, you’re not sure how to respond then simply tell him that. And then spend some time thinking, praying, studying and asking god for the right answer. If you need to you could even go ask your priest. Once you feel like you have a good answer look for another opportunity to share that with him. He may be impressed that you took his concern seriously and tried to come up with a good answer.

As for his continuing to go to Mass and Communion, it’s true that we should not go to Communion if we do not believe. But I’d leave that to your brother and God for now. Your brother may actually believe more than he has let on. And going to Mass may be one of the best things he can do during this time of struggle. But in the end, if you feel quite burdened by this it may be good to talk to your parents about it and let them prayerfully talk to your brother. They will most likely have some good ideas on how to proceed.

When we forget about God, do things go bad?

Q. When we forget about God, do things go bad?

A. Yes, indeed they do.  But it’s important to understand what “go bad” actually means.  Interestingly, if someone forgets about God, meaning they turn from God, they may still have a so called “good life” as defined by the fallen and sinful world. Thus, an atheist may become very wealthy, be popular and be successful in a worldly way. But if they lack God, and gain the whole world, things in their life are still quite bad from the perspective of truth and regarding true happiness.

On the other hand, if your question simply means that you do not actively think about God for a moment or two, but still love Him and have faith, then that’s a different question.  God does not punish us just because we forget to think about Him all day every day.

Let’s look at that question with some analogies to better answer it:

If a fish were to forget to live in water, would things go bad for the fish?

If a person were to forget about eating, would that cause a problem?

If a car were to be without fuel, would that make the car stop?

If a plant were put in a closet without any light, would that do harm to the plant?

Of course, the answer to all these questions is “Yes.”  A fish is made for water, humans need food, a car needs fuel to operate and a plant needs light to survive.  So it is with us and God. We are made to live in the life of God. Therefore, if by “forgetting about God” we mean we separate ourselves from God, then this is bad and we cannot find true fulfillment in life.  If this continues unto death, then we lose God and life for eternity.

The bottom line is that without God we lose everything, including life itself.  And if God is not in our life, we lose that which is most central to who we are.  We lose ourselves and fall into a life of sin. So don’t forget about God!

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

BY PETER CANISIUS MICHAEL DAVID KANG

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day the whole Church celebrates together the great occasion of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating one of the four great Marian Dogmas of the Church, namely the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, Mary. What does this Immaculate Conception actually mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? Quite a few of us still do not have the right understanding of what this celebration and event actually means.

We celebrate this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary on the eighth day of December, and it is related to another celebration, exactly nine months later, on the eighth day of September, that is the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is where people often confuse between the term ‘nativity’ and ‘conception’. While the former means birth, that is the moment when a baby is born into the world, out of his or her mother’s womb, the latter means the moment when life is conceived, from a father and a mother, in the womb of the mother, which is ideally nine months before the date of birth, as in humans pregnancy lasts for approximately nine months.

Therefore, today’s celebration of the Immaculate Conception of Mary focuses on that very important, unique and pivotal moment when Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, as the child of her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. And the word ‘Immaculate’ has the meaning of pure and blameless, referring to the state in which Mary was conceived, free from the taints and corruptions of original sin.

Why is this significant, brothers and sisters in Christ? First, let us all examine what is this original sin that has just been mentioned. For those who are not sure what original sin is all about, it is the original and first sin of our ancestors’ disobedience as elaborated in our first reading today from the Book of Genesis. Surely all of us know the story of how Satan, in the form of a snake, tempted Eve, the first woman and companion of the first man, Adam, to eat of the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The Lord had specifically ordered man not to eat of the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but Satan tempted them with many false promises of power and knowledge, glory and greatness, saying that if man were to eat of the fruits they would be like God and they would not perish unlike what the Lord had said. And through these sweet lies and tempting words, Satan led mankind down the path of disobedience, and through disobedience, sin entered into the hearts, minds and souls of man.

Ever since then, our human nature had been tainted by the corruption of sin, this original sin of Adam and Eve, the disobedience of man against their Creator, Lord and Master. They opened the floodgates that allowed sin to enter into us and enslave us, ruling over us and having dominion over us. And it was also because of sin that we have been cast out of the Gardens of Eden and having to endure suffering in the world, and eventually death.

Thus, through temptation, the first man and woman fell into sin and brought the whole race of mankind into sin and death. This is what original sin is all about. But if we notice, just as the Lord proclaimed the punishment due to sin in our first reading today, He also proclaimed at the same time, what would happen in the far future, that God would save His people and crush Satan who caused man to fall.

He said that while Satan would ‘strike at the heel of man’, meaning that all these while he has been trying hard to destroy us, by means of persuasion, coercion, trickery and temptations, but through the Woman, God will defeat Satan, and the Woman shall crush the head of Satan, a figurative expression of what would come to fulfilment in Mary and her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

And therefore, yes, Mary is the Woman mentioned by God, as the one through whom God would send His deliverance to His beloved people. Despite all of our sins, God’s love for us still endures, and that is why, He is willing to lift us up from our downfallen state, and He always seeks to be reconciled with us and to forgive us all our many sins. He did it all by sending none other than His own Begotten Son, the Word of God and the Son, into this world.

And the Word was made Flesh, according to the Gospel of St. John, and dwelled among man, and this is our core belief, that God Himself has assumed the body and essence of man, our human nature, that in the person of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, exist two distinct yet inseparable natures of divine and human. And as all humans are, He is to be born of a mother, and this mother is none other than Mary.

However, because this Man is not just like any other man but God Himself incarnate in the flesh, there can be no taints or corruption of sin around Him. This can also be alluded commonly in the Ark of the Covenant of the time of the Old Testament and ancient Israel, where the Ark of the Covenant bears the Law of God, the tablets of the Ten Commandments, the heavenly manna and the rod of Aaron, as the symbol of God’s presence among His people.

If we refer to the Books of Exodus and other books of the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was made of the most precious materials available to man, and it was hallowed and blessed by God, placed in the holiest part of the Tent of Meeting before the Temple of Jerusalem was built, and then in the Holy of Holies of the Temple. When the Ark was transported during the time of king David, one of the priests who accidentally touched the Ark was struck down, highlighting just how holy and special that Ark was.

And imagine then that there is this New Ark, crafted by the hands of God Himself, a Woman, prepared specially for this very purpose of containing the New Covenant between God and mankind. Christ, through His Passion, suffering and death has established that New Covenant between God and man, and because of that, His mother, Mary in whose womb the Lord dwelled for nine months before His birth at Christmas, is truly the New Ark of the Covenant, far greater than the old Ark of the Covenant.

That is why, coupled with the fact that God cannot coexist with sin and no sin can be in the presence of God, the Lord specifically set Mary aside from among all other sons and daughters of mankind, and by a singular grace, according to the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Mary was preserved from original sin, and was conceived without any taints of sin at all, free from that original sin and therefore is ‘Immaculate’ from the moment of her conception, right through her birth, and according to our faith, she remained free from sin and in perfect state of grace throughout her life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in Mary we have seen the coming of the Saviour, through her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, born from her womb, she who is the New Ark of the Covenant, pure and blameless. And she is the terror of Satan and the demons, as through her, the Lord’s promise of Satan’s defeat has come true, crushing the head and pride of this wicked devil. But not only that, brothers and sisters in Christ, but Mary through her faith and complete obedience to God has shown us what we ourselves need to do as Christians in our lives.

Why is that so? That is because we must not forget that we ourselves are the Temples of the Holy Spirit, the Houses of God’s Holy Presence. We have received the Lord into ourselves, especially through the Eucharist, the Lord in His own Most Precious Body and Blood, His very essence into ourselves. Mary has kept herself faithful and she has devoted herself completely to the Lord, throughout her life, as challenging and difficult it had been for her. If she could do it, then we can do our best to follow in her examples too.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate in today’s great celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, let us all therefore rejoice because God’s salvation has come to us through Mary, our beloved Mother, by her Son Jesus Christ. And through her example as the New Ark of the Covenant, let us all as God’s holy people, also be faithful in our own respective lives, that we show exemplary Christian attitudes and actions at all times, in our world today.

O Most Holy and Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, New Ark of the Covenant and the Immaculate Conception, pray for us all your sons and daughters who are sinners, and guide us all to your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Help us to follow the Lord and remain faithful to Him as you have done. May God bless us always, and may He strengthen us in our faith, now and forevermore. Amen.

If God made us to become saints, how can we do so?

Q. If God made us to become saints, how can we do so?

A. This is a question we should all ask ourselves every day of our lives!  However, the answer to this question is never ending.

It’s true, we are made to be saints.  God made us to be one with Him forever in Heaven.  We call this holiness, sanctity, or saintliness. But how do we do so?

First, we seek the truth.  Truth is discovered by faith.  Faith is not just believing in something we cannot know for sure.  It’s not just wishful thinking. Faith is knowledge. Certain knowledge.  And we ultimately obtain faith by allowing God to speak to our inner conscience and reveal that which is true.  This happens when two things are present. First, we engage our minds in the truth such as in the Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the teachings of the saints, etc.  Second, reading the truth is not enough.  We also need the “gift” of faith, meaning that when we hear the truth, God needs to confirm this truth as “true” in our conscience. God’s voice first revealed the truth through the Scripture, the Church or the saint, but then God tells us, interiorly, that this is His Truth.  When this happens, we must believe. When this happens, we are gifted with faith. We know, with deep interior certitude, that which God revealed.

Second, this process of coming to know the truth in faith is strengthened by prayer.  When we pray, it’s like adding fuel to a fire. The fire, which is faith, grows in intensity.  As it grows in intensity, we grow in faith.

Third, we must live what we come to know through faith.  This is an act of our will. When we choose to live the faith we come to know, we grow in charity, holiness and saintliness.  We become saints.

Though this is a greatly simplified explanation of the path to holiness, hopefully it points you in the right direction.

(Taken from My Catholic Faith)