20180609
THE JOY OF MARY AS THE BASIS FOR A HEART OF
CHARITY AND MERCY
09 JUNE, 2018, Saturday, The Immaculate
Heart of Mary
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: White.
Isaiah 61:9–11
9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
and
their offspring in the midst of the peoples;
all
who see them shall acknowledge them,
that
they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my
soul shall exult in my God;
for
he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he
has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a
bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and
as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and
as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so
the Lord God will
cause righteousness and praise
to
spring forth before all the nations.
Ephesians 1:3–6:11
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even
as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and blameless before him. 5 He destined us in
love* to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of
his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished
upon us. 9 For he has made
known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his
purpose which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for
the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on
earth.
11 In him, according to the
purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his
will,
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Luke 2:4–51
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of
the house and lineage of David, 5 to be enrolled
with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were
there, the time came for her to be delivered. 7 And she gave
birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him
in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in that region there
were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And
an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel
said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy
which will come to all the people; 11 for to you is
born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And
this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and
saying,
14 “Glory to God in the
highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”g
15 When the angels went away
from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to
Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known
to us.” 16 And they went
with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And
when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning
this child; 18 and all who
heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But
Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And
the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and
seen, as it had been told them.
21 And at the end of eight
days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the time came for
their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is
written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called
holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a
sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a
man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout,
looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And
it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death
before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And inspired by
the Spirit* he came into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom
of the law, 28 he took him up
in his arms and blessed God and said,
29 “Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace,
according to thy word;
30 for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation
31 which thou hast prepared in
the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to
the Gentiles,
and for glory to thy people Israel.”
33 And his father and his
mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary his mother,
“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in
Israel,
and for a sign that is spoken against
35 (and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also),
that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”
36 And there was a prophetess,
Anna, the daughter of Phanu-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age,
having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and
as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer
night and day. 38 And coming up at
that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking
for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 And when they had performed
everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to
their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the child
grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
41 Now his parents went to
Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And
when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; 43 and
when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind
in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing
him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among
their kinsfolk and acquaintances; 45 and when they
did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 After
three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to
them and asking them questions; 47 and all who
heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And
when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why
have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you
anxiously.” 49 And he said to
them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my
Father’s house?” 50 And they did not
understand the saying which he spoke to them. 51 And he went down
with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept
all these things in her heart.
THE JOY OF MARY AS THE BASIS FOR A HEART OF CHARITY AND MERCY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ ISA 61:9-11; EPHESIANS
1:3-6.11-12; LK 2:4-51 ]
The origin of
this feast of the Immaculate Heart came from St John Eudes in the 17th century.
Through him, this devotion received widespread approval from both the laity and
the Church authorities. But this feast became popular only after the
apparition of our Lady of Fatima in the 20th century. It
received impetus because of our Lady’s commendation to the three shepherds that
“Jesus desires to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart” (June
13). The Lord repeated this desire when He said, “I shall come to ask for
consecration to my Immaculate Heart.”
Indeed, this
feast is a fitting conclusion to the series of solemnities that the Church celebrated,
from Holy Thursday to Easter, followed by the Feasts of Ascension and
Pentecost. Capturing the whole economy of salvation, the Church
celebrates the feast of the Holy Trinity because salvation comes from the
Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit, and happiness and fulfillment in
life is to be in communion with the Holy Trinity. To further contemplate
on the love and mercy of the Father in Jesus, the Church celebrates the Feast
of Corpus Christi followed by the feast of the Sacred Heart, underscoring the
utter love of God in His self-giving.
Whilst the
feast of Corpus Christi speaks of His self-giving and continued presence in our
lives, the feast of the Sacred Heart reminds us of His passion and love for us,
and a heart that is wounded and bruised because of rejection and the sins of
men. The
feast of the Immaculate Heart that follows immediately after the feast of the
Sacred Heart shows that there is a creature like us who responded readily to
the grace and mercy of God. And it is Mary, whose feast we celebrate.
Whilst the Feast of the Sacred Heart celebrates the outpouring love and mercy
of God for us, the feast of the Immaculate Heart speaks of our response to that
love and mercy. This, then, is the motif and theme of our celebration.
How can we acquire a heart like Mary in our response to God’s love and mercy?
When we speak
of the heart, we are dealing with the center and source of the interior life of
a person, namely, the will and the affective faculties. In the area of
affectivity, Mary, like all of us, needed joy to motivate her in
life. Indeed, if many of us find that our life lacks enthusiasm and
passion, it is because joy is not present in our lives, whether in our
marriage, relationships, work or business, or involvements. Joy is an
important factor in giving ourselves fully to what we do. When a person
is joyful, he brings joy to others and infects others with his joy. A
person who is motivated by an inner spirit of joy is driven to do things for
others not because of mundane motives.
Indeed, in
the gospel, Mary is portrayed as a woman of joy. What then was the basis
of Mary’s joy? The first reading is applied to Mary when the prophet said,
“I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me
in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like
a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels.”
Mary was indeed the bride of God, the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
She gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God. It was a joy that is
incomparable. In the Magnificat, she sang, “My soul magnifies the
Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with
favor on the lowliness of his servant.” (Lk 1:46f)
Her joy
therefore came from God’s election of her to be the mother of the
Saviour. She was graced by God, not by her own merits. She was humble
to acknowledge this fact when she said, “Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great
things for me, and holy is his name.” (Lk 1:49)
She was blessed by God and was called by the angel, “full of grace” whom God
had highly favoured. (cf Lk 1:28)
This is what St Paul wrote with reference to all Christians. “Blessed be
God the Father of our Lord Jesus, who has blessed us with all the spiritual
blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us
in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ for
his own kind purposes.”
So the joy of
Mary came from her humble recognition that all she had was the grace of God and
not her own doing. Consequently, there was nothing to boast about. The
responsoral psalm in which Mary echoed in the Magnificat says, “The bows of the
mighty are broken, but the weak are clothed with strength. Those with
plenty must labour for bread, but the hungry need work no more. The
childless wife has children now but the fruitful wife bears no more. It is the
Lord who gives life and death, he brings men to the grave and back; it is the
Lord who gives poverty and riches. He brings men low and raises them on
high.” Indeed, if there is anything to boast, it is the grace of
God. St Paul said, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show
my weakness.” (2 Cor 11:30) Again, he reiterated, “I will boast all the more
gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2 Cor 12:9)
It is this
realization of God’s immense grace for us all, especially for Mary, that we too
are called to be blessed for others. This is what Isaiah said of Israel. “Their race will be
famous throughout the nations, their descendants throughout the peoples. All
who see them will admit that they are a race whom the Lord has blessed.”
Mary in the Magnificat said, “His mercy is for those who fear him from
generation to generation.” St Paul confirms this when he wrote, that God
intends “to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the
Beloved, chosen to be, for his greater glory, the people who would put their
hopes in Christ before he came.” We are blessed by God, never for
ourselves, but for others.
Out of this
heart of joy and love, Mary’s heart reached out to others in charity and mercy. She was a woman of
action. Upon receiving the call of God to be the mother of the Messiah,
she did not hesitate in saying “yes” to His election. “Here am I, the servant
of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38)
The next thing she did was to reach out to Elizabeth her cousin who was
pregnant with child in her old age. “Mary set out and went with haste to
a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of
Zechariah.” (Lk 1:39) Mary did not keep her blessings to
herself. Then again, at Cana in Galilee, when Mary observed that there
was no more wine at the wedding, and feeling embarrassed for the bridegroom and
the needs of the guest, she told Jesus, “They have no wine.” (Jn 2:3)
These incidents demonstrate Mary’s charity and compassion for others.
Out of this
heart too, was a woman of mercy. Simeon already prophesied to Mary the future
she was to suffer as the mother the Messiah. “This child is destined for
the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be
opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed – and a
sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lk 2:34f)
True enough, Mary followed Jesus right to the cross when He was abandoned by
His disciples and friends. John noted, that “standing near the cross of
Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and
Mary Magdalene.” (Jn 19:25) Mary stood up for Jesus. And she
joined Jesus in forgiving His enemies, uniting her heart with the heart of
Jesus who too was pierced with a lance at the cross. We can imagine the
horror and pain that Mary witnessed, not just at the cruelty of Jesus’
scourging and crucifixion but seeing her only Son pierced with a lance.
Indeed, when
we contemplate on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in her obedience to God’s will,
sharing in His divine plan for the salvation of humanity, through charity and
mercy, we see the powerful effects of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Contemplating on
God’s love and mercy in Christ, we too will be empowered to do what Mary
did. Her heart beat with the heart of the Lord. She was one with
the Lord in everything she did, in mind and will. For this reason, the
Church gave her the title of co-redemptrix and mediatrix because of her close
association with the saving death of our Lord.
Let us
therefore take heed of the instruction of our Lord who asked us to cultivate a
devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. According to our Lady who
appeared at Fatima, we must therefore seek conversion of heart through penance,
sacrifices and mortification so that we will be focused not on self but on God
and others. Secondly, we need to pray the rosary and contemplate on the
love and mercy of God as she did. The gospel said, “His mother
stored up all these things in her heart.” When we contemplate with Mary
on the heart of God in Jesus, we too will be filled with delight and joy to do
what they did.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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