On Calvary, Mary has taken the new Motherhood to relate to each and every one of us. Mary has brought the new life of Jesus to be truly present in the Eucharist. In the Gospel, Jesus has told us that unless we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we cannot be united in Him. Through the Eucharist and the mediation of Mary, it has made happened that we live in Christ and Christ lives in us.
As the most spiritual creatures that God made, human have the grace of the Lord to consume the flesh of Christ in the Eucharist. This is the most sacred gift to mankind. Not even the angels and archangels have this gift. Jesus is God becomes man and takes the same physical form as human. Angels are the most high Spirits in heaven that do not take a physical form to consume this spiritual gift from Christ.
When I think about what will I do to make Mother Mary happy today, there are several thoughts immediately coming into my mind:
“To do whatever Jesus tells me to do.”
“Go, and sin no more!”
“Come closer to my son, not only physically, but your whole heart, your whole soul.”
“Learn to forgive with deep trust.”
“Where’s your five stones going?”
By reading today’s reflection, I am inspired by the connection of heaven and earth, in which we can be earthly citizens in cooperation with Jesus and Mary. I am thinking of this connection is fully revealed in our great Catholic traditions and teachings, in Christian arts, in liturgies and singing in which our voices become one with the angels, the heavenly realm harmonizing with our earthly realm, and vice versa. The same harmony can also be seen in the architecture of our cathedrals and churches, in which when we pray and sing, our voices reach high up to the heavenly realm, and echo back down to us. This also happens in the corporal and spiritual work of mercy. Whenever the Church, in the name of Jesus, reaches out on behalf of the poor, the suffering and the hungry, it brings heaven to earth, and earth to heaven.
I am also thinking of the role of our mission in play, in such we can participate in “reconciliation” of heaven and earth whenever we can, on our workbench, office, kitchen, etc. These are altars where we offer love. In everything we think, say, and do, let them be a reconciliation of heaven and earth through love.
From VY
on
第22天(2018年11月26日)
靈修旅程來到餘下三分一的路程,我們繼續細看聖人們怎樣讚美、效法、祈求瑪利亞,令他們得以更接近和肖似耶穌基督。今次這個奉獻敬禮的高峰將會在五月十三日瑪利亞在花地瑪顯現100年的這一天,所以這星期由已故教宗聖若望保祿二世作我們的導師是最理想不過的。若望保祿的座右銘是:「為你,瑪利亞,我是你的。」(“To you, Mary, I repeat: Totus Tuus ego sum.”) 藉著若望保祿在教會的領導地位,在聖經闡釋和神學上去了解和明白這個奉獻敬禮,我們便能認識瑪利亞在奧秘當中的角色,她是如何帶領我們進入基督救贖之愛,以及怎樣奉獻於父。
一九八一年五月十三日,下午五時,教宗若望保祿二世在聖伯多祿廣場祝福信眾的時候,遭到槍手射擊,中了兩槍,但子彈差了分毫,並未擊中要害,經六小時手術後脫離險境。六十四年前的同一天同一時間,瑪利亞在葡萄牙的花地瑪第一次顯現給當地牧童,並向他們透露三個秘密。若望保祿認為子彈避過要害,一定是一隻無形的手在幫忙,而這隻手絕對屬於瑪利亞。槍擊過後,若望保祿要求打開最後秘密的信封;牧童在神視中,瑪利亞向他們預言,一位身穿白衣的主教將會受苦難,然後被槍殺。若望保祿相信花地瑪聖母救了他一命,他決定展開一個信心委託的行動(an act of entrustment),隆重地祈禱,把世界奉獻給瑪利亞無玷聖心。教宗更在1984年3月25日聯合全世界的主教舉行一個莊嚴的敬禮,再次把全世界奉獻給瑪利亞無玷聖心,祈求救贖的力量:慈悲的愛的力量,將邪惡制止,讓人心歸依主,帶希望的光給世界。瑪利亞在花地瑪教導牧童要通過懺悔和犧牲來拯救罪人,要勤加祈禱,特別是頌唸玫瑰經。即使在第二個秘密中,瑪利亞要求將俄羅斯奉獻給她,而共產蘇聯亦在若望保祿奉獻敬禮後的五年解體,教宗並沒有停下來,他還是繼續他的信心委託行動,把世界奉獻給慈悲耶穌聖心,祈求天父慈悲的愛能戰勝世上持續的罪惡和不公義。因着若望保祿的祈禱和奉獻,他在二零零五年四月二日,救主慈悲瞻禮彌撒後離逝。
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