I went to Marian pilgrimages to Antipolo, Rizal, Philippines every summer while I was growing up and into my adulthood. I actually blogged about the Tuguegarao heritage tour our high school class '65 at St. James Academy took this past summer in the Philippines where we had the opportunity to behold the beauty and rich history of the statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Marian churches we visited.
I was taught we do not worship Mary nor the other Saints and definitely not their statues that are prominently displayed in all the Catholic churches worldwide. These venerated persons are instead considered intercessors or go betweens in our relationship with God. They are our influential and cool BFF's that we hang out with who will ask God for us what we need but are too shy to ask for.
I have to admit I had a more personal relationship with Jesus through the years, one that has deepened even more lately. Mary was there for me on the side lovingly and generously watching over and interceding for me. But I had nothing like a girl crush on her, however. I knew how great she was but I did not swoon over her. Not until this past December. It was not an apparition nor a miracle through her that jelled this new found admiration and awe. Rather an eloquent sermon, a Christmas song and what I perceive a soul that was open and ready for a reveal that did it.
Mary and Second Chances
I try as much as possible to attend the Mass that my husband, who is part of our church choir, is singing in though I find the time it is held sometimes rather inconvenient. The evening of December 8, 2015 was such night I preferred to be somewhere else rather than sitting in the pew with droopy eyes.
The celebrant was Fr. Tom Dansak who loves to explain the significance of every reading or part that he finds worthy enough to elaborate on. On this particular evening I dreaded he would deliver these beautiful informative comments that I find prolong the Mass. I was tired and lacking in sleep and in a bratty mood. I just wanted to go home early. And then he gave The Sermon.
Being a biblical scholar which I found out later, he first corrected us by saying that December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is really the feast of Mary's parents. They conceived Mary without original sin or that taint or stain we have in our soul when we were born.
This original sin as all Catholics were taught in their catechism class came about because Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the apple of the tree of Knowledge which they were prohibited to do. As a result to make the long salvation history contained in the Old Testament short, all the prophets were focused on the coming of the Savior that would free us of this original sin. But how, when and who would be involved were prophesied but not in direct ways.
According to Fr. Dansak, Mary, the second Eve, at fifteen years old, was generous enough to say the big YES to the angel who came to ask her if she wanted to be the Mother of God. Thus Mary afforded us the Second Chance for salvation by giving birth to our savior Jesus Christ. Without her we would have been goners.
Father Dansak also made beautiful parallelisms between Eve and Mary. Whereas Eve did not obey God's wish, Mary did was one of them. There were more parallelisms which I unfortunately do not remember.
Father Dansak had a way of saying things which made me have an AHA moment in this eloquent sermon. His explanations made the significance of Mary's YES sink in and I discovered Mary or saw her with new eyes as the poster above says. I began to admire and fall in love with her with a different intensity.
The celebrant was Fr. Tom Dansak who loves to explain the significance of every reading or part that he finds worthy enough to elaborate on. On this particular evening I dreaded he would deliver these beautiful informative comments that I find prolong the Mass. I was tired and lacking in sleep and in a bratty mood. I just wanted to go home early. And then he gave The Sermon.
Being a biblical scholar which I found out later, he first corrected us by saying that December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception is really the feast of Mary's parents. They conceived Mary without original sin or that taint or stain we have in our soul when we were born.
This original sin as all Catholics were taught in their catechism class came about because Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the apple of the tree of Knowledge which they were prohibited to do. As a result to make the long salvation history contained in the Old Testament short, all the prophets were focused on the coming of the Savior that would free us of this original sin. But how, when and who would be involved were prophesied but not in direct ways.
According to Fr. Dansak, Mary, the second Eve, at fifteen years old, was generous enough to say the big YES to the angel who came to ask her if she wanted to be the Mother of God. Thus Mary afforded us the Second Chance for salvation by giving birth to our savior Jesus Christ. Without her we would have been goners.
Father Dansak also made beautiful parallelisms between Eve and Mary. Whereas Eve did not obey God's wish, Mary did was one of them. There were more parallelisms which I unfortunately do not remember.
Father Dansak had a way of saying things which made me have an AHA moment in this eloquent sermon. His explanations made the significance of Mary's YES sink in and I discovered Mary or saw her with new eyes as the poster above says. I began to admire and fall in love with her with a different intensity.
The Song "Mary Did You Know"
Whereas the sermon on Mary and Second Chances gave me the brainy foundation, the song "Mary Did You Know" offered the emotional aspect to complete my growing love for Mary.
I was preparing the prayer ritual for our end of the year Luncheon/Prayer meeting which I host at my house for the prayer group I belong to headed by Sue and facilitated by Natalie. I wanted gratitude to be the theme.
As usual I googled for inspiration for the ritual and I was pleasantly surprised that Mary and gratitude were synonymous in one online source I found. I decided on this aspect to carry out the theme for the ritual. I needed some songs to go with it and picked the song Mary Did You Know by Pentatonix as one of them. Other artists including The Voice champion, Jordan Smith has sung this song. (My husband actually sang it in the meeting so beautifully).
Here is the YouTube link to the version with the graphics from the movie the Passion of Christ to go with the compelling words. The visual that went with every line was heart wrenching. Here is a less graphic version by Mark Lowery.
Not only did I know more about Mary after seeing these videos, I identified with her. I realized she had felt the pain and joy of a mother raising a child exactly how myself and other mothers have had. She was portrayed to be less abstract and more human by the beautiful lyrics and visuals. I started to feel a closer relationship with her as a result. I found a BFF in her.
As usual I googled for inspiration for the ritual and I was pleasantly surprised that Mary and gratitude were synonymous in one online source I found. I decided on this aspect to carry out the theme for the ritual. I needed some songs to go with it and picked the song Mary Did You Know by Pentatonix as one of them. Other artists including The Voice champion, Jordan Smith has sung this song. (My husband actually sang it in the meeting so beautifully).
Here is the YouTube link to the version with the graphics from the movie the Passion of Christ to go with the compelling words. The visual that went with every line was heart wrenching. Here is a less graphic version by Mark Lowery.
Not only did I know more about Mary after seeing these videos, I identified with her. I realized she had felt the pain and joy of a mother raising a child exactly how myself and other mothers have had. She was portrayed to be less abstract and more human by the beautiful lyrics and visuals. I started to feel a closer relationship with her as a result. I found a BFF in her.
An Open Heart and Soul
A mutually admitted emptiness as Richard Rohr puts it I believe is an important key in my seeing Mary with new eyes. It was not just my own neediness to know and longing to be loved by God but also God's own humility to admit His need for my love. It is this mystery of reciprocal love in turn that made it possible for me to have an open soul and heart to learn to fall more in love with Mary, the Mother of God. I am grateful to the humble and loving God for this gift.
Amen lulucook. The blessed virgin is our heavenly mother i pray you will continue to fall in love with her. God bless.
ReplyDeletewith the grace of god, i will continue to do so. lulu
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