What Mary Did Not Say

I was reading a book over Christmas about how Our Lady responded to Gods call and the meaning of the few words she spoke recorded in the Gospels. After contemplating different elements of the book I wondered what would have happened if Our Lady had responded to Gods invitation in a totally human, selfish way. And how do we respond to Gods Will.

So this is what Mary did not say.

"Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." ..."Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Mary: "But ArchAngel Gabriel, I am still not married so if I were to suddenly appear pregnant this would ruin my reputation in the eyes of my neighbours and my betrothed, Joseph. And if I say I have seen an Angel the people will scoff at me and think me mad. In the end what others think of me is more important than to follow God's Will."

Do you follow God's Will or are you more concerned with 'what will the neighbours think?'

"The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."

Mary: "you know this and I know it but my family, my friends and my neighbours will not know this. Once again what will people think of me? They will think me disgraced how could I bear such a burden. It is all too much for one so young."

If you are accused of something you did not do, can you persevere through misunderstanding and remain at peace because God knows you are innocent? Or do you rail against the injustice of it all?

"And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."

Mary: "This is great news for Elizabeth and her husband and I know that nothing is impossible for God except controlling human opinion or gossiping tongues. Elizabeth is married so when she gives birth there will be great rejoicing and noone will accuse her of anything. With me it will be different for I am unmarried and many people will think ill of me. And there is Joseph to consider, he will never understand and I do not wish to hurt him...So thank you but no thank you Archangel Gabriel."

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When reading the fake discourse above can we truly appreciate Mary's Fiat, for indeed she would have faced questions from the community where she lived. There would have been raised eye brows, hushed whispers and much finger pointing.

Thankfully Mary put Gods Will first. Do you?

Written by Marie.

MOTHER OF COMPASSION

O Holy Virgin,

in the midst of all your glory,

we ask you not to forget

the sorrows of this world.

Cast a look of pity upon all

who struggle against life's difficulties,

and who cease not to feel all its bitterness.

Have pity on all who have been

separated from those they love.

Have pity on the lonely and friendless.

Pardon the weakness of our faith.

have pity on those whom we love.

O Holy Mother,

show a mother's compassion toward the sorrowful

and those who tremble under life's afflictions.

Give them hope and peace.

Amen.

Anon

Greeting Mary

Hail Mary, hello, how are you? I greet you with love, And I thank you for being available. Deeply, I breathe your roses, The twelve fresh roses you place in my spirit Every morning when I say hello to you.

Full of grace are you, Grace spilling over Heaven's boundaries Into my world, living water, bread and wine, The unmerited favor of God That you come carrying to me, Your arms always full of gifts.

The Lord is with thee, Jesus Christ the Messiah is with you, And you teach me how to recognize That the Lord is with me.

Blessed art thou amoung women, Glowing with love for Jesus, Pure blessedness never tainted But alive with holy beauty.

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, The most blessed of humanity, Delivered through you, Virgin Mary. Jesus, the most cursed of humanity, Who became a curse for me So that I might be blessed With his resurrection life.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Teach me to value motherhood, Help me pray for mothers and fathers To love and support each other. Show me how God loves you.

Pray for us sinners now And at the hour of our death. Pray that I can live each moment Consecrated to love, to Christ, That I recognize each now As the moment of salvation So that I die prepared for eternal life. Pray that I can crucify my passions, Those passions that make me a sinner, And that I can die to sin on the cross with Jesus As you look on weeping and praying But joyous, knowing that resurrection follows.

Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Anon

Why Do Catholics Worship Mary?

Did the title grab your attention?

Catholics do not worship Mary. What Catholics do is Venerate, Revere, Respect and admire Mary.

Why do Catholics love Mary so much?

Because God loved her first and chose Mary for Himself from the beginning of time. (Genesis 3:14-15).

What makes Mary so special?

Look at it this way. Do you think God would choose you to carry His Son in your womb? Think about it. Are you that pure? Or that sinless?

In order to preserve God's Word the Jews constructed the Ark Of The Covenant. It was so Holy that when Uzzah reached out to steady it, God struck him on the spot and Uzzah died. (II Samuel 6:6-7).

If God protected His Word so carefully, why would God do less for His Beloved Son?

In order to nuture the Son of God, Mary had to be pure, holy and sinless. Do we think God could not do this miracle within the heart and soul of Mary? Of course God can and did so. God did this when Anne was pregnant with her daughter, Mary. Remember, God can do all things. It is man who is limited.

One more thing needs to be considered. Would God use a woman as a human incubator and then carelessly toss her aside as if she were worthless? To do this would break one of God's own Commandments, 'Honour thy mother and father.'

It is inconceivable that God would treat the Mother of God so disrespectfully. How can any person think such a thing?

When Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth the child within Elizabeth's womb leapt for joy as Elizabeth cried out, 'Most blessed are you among women.' Elizabeth mentions Mary first then Elizabeth continues, 'and blessed is the fruit of your womb.' Then Elizabeth says, '...That the mother of my Lord should come to me?' Mary then proclaimed the Greatness of God, her spirit rejoices in God her Savior and she continues to say, 'from now on will all the ages call me blessed.'(Luke 1:41-43, 46-48)

When looking at the above statements are both Elizabeth and Mary deluded or prideful? Or are they speaking Divine Truth?

In order to carry the Son of God Mary had to be without corruption, in other words without sin. The Divine cannot co-exist with corruption.

When we understand Mary's purity, her holiness we then understand the chasteness of the Marital Union between her and her holy spouse, Joseph.

If the Ark of the Covenant could not be touched by human hands then how could Mary be touched intimately by a man? To understand Joseph is to honour the fact that both Joseph and Mary's union remained Chaste and pure.

The Immaculate Conception remains Dogma because it is Truth revealed and cemented in Church Teaching and Tradition. It merely cements into Church Tradition the Biblical understanding when Gabriel says, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you...The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God."(Luke 1:28,35)

Just as sin was brought into the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The sting of death was negated by the birth, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior through Mary's FIAT.

Jesus and Mary restored that which was broken by Adam and Eve.

There was only one voice which objected to Mary's preeminence, and with a cry of 'I do not serve' Lucifer was thrown down to hell.

In the end if God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit chose Mary, who are you to disagree?

Do You Pray or Say The Rosary?

The one thing that truly annoys me is listening to a Rosary that is said at the speed of light.

There is no pause for meditation. No reflection on the particular Mystery as the Hail Mary's pour forth so fast that it almost becomes gibberish.

Let's face it would we talk to our own mothers so fast that they would not understand us? Would we talk to our friends at the speed of light?

What are we saying to our Blessed Mother when we pray at speed?

To say the Rosary at speed is to insult our Blessed Mother. It is as if we are telling the Mother of God that we have no time to actually spend with her, but we wish to keep up 'appearances'.

I have been to Rosary prayer groups where a clock is set for ten minutes in other words the Rosary must be finished within that ten minute period. What is the point, if your heart is not involved?

Now I prefer to pray the Rosary privately where I can spend time to meditate and reflect on the lives of our Lord & Saviour and Our Lady.

Pray the Rosary with the understanding of how honoured we are to be given this form of prayer rather than treat Our Lady as if she should be honoured by our non prayerful presense.

Love Our Blessed Mother enough to long to spend time with her in acknowledgement that it is we who need her and not the reverse.

How long do YOU spend praying the Rosary?

Meditation With Mary

Luke Chapter 1:46-55

And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

Reflection

We have had many Saints who led immensely holy lives their total love and zealousness for God is truly an example to us all. What makes Mary different from these wonderful Saints of our Church? It is by looking at the Saints that we gain a glimpse of just how unique and glorious that Mary truly is.

Mary was without sin as her soul was filled with Grace, therefore there is no corruption within the heart and soul of Mary. Still Mary was an ordinary woman, filled with an extraordinary love of God which overwhelms her completely. It is this consummation that makes Mary beloved of God, as the Triune Spirit glories in their perfect creature.

Within the heart of Mary is the illumination of the Triune Spirit. It is through Mary we gain a glimpse of the Divine as Mary surrendered herself to the Triune Spirit. Through Mary we also see the perfect joy that the Triune Spirit enjoyed when gazing at their most perfect woman, who with her Fiat, Mary in perfect conformity to The Divine Will, undid the imperfect will of Eve.

Mary is the beloved of the Triune Spirit, there can be no-one who can replace or who can compare to this most perfect wonderment of womanhood. It is also through Mary that we also gain a glimpse as to what we can be when we transcend our limitations and surrender our hearts to the Will of the Divine.

Mary is essentially, beloved of the Trinity for all time. For those who question Mary's place should ponder this thought; if Mary found favour with the Trinity who are any of us to find disfavour?

Our Lady of Sorrows-No Words Needed

Feast of the Nativity of Mary

Father of mercy, give your people help and strength from heaven. The birth of the Virgin Mary's Son was the dawn of our salvation. May this celebration of her birthday bring us closer to lasting peace. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Feast of the Queenship of Mary Our Mother

Today we celebrate the Blessed Mother as Our Queen. From the moment of her "yes" at the Annunciation, the Holy Spirit has been her Spouse, thus we can call her our Queen. As our Queen Mother, she intercedes for us to the King whenever we ask her to -- because she loves us dearly, each of us, very dearly.

Mary, Queen of Heaven, give me your heart, so beautiful, so pure, so Immaculate, so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life, love Him and serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poorest of the poor.

Let me live within your heart and there receive a share of your own love for Jesus, for the Church and for all people. Give me some measure of your own humility and surrender to the will of the Father. May Jesus take on flesh in me.

Like you, I want to be a spouse of the Holy Spirit, docile to His gentlest inspiration and join you in signing a Magnificat for all eternity. Oh my soul magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour!

Totus Tuus, Maria ! I belong to you. I want to be …..

All YES

Only YES

Always YES

Amen

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE SMILE

Gentle Mary, My Mother,

I place before you the worries,

hurts and hopes of my heart.

They shrink my soul and I feel heavy and hopeless.

Darkness closes in around me.

I reach out to you, bright Lady of Hope.

Smile on me.

Smile on my loved ones and the intentions I place before you....

Your tender smile works miracles and heals,

as you did with St. Thérèse, the Little Flower.

You are my true Mother.

You show the tender mercy of God.

Smile on me, Blessed Mother,

and all will be well.

Amen

What The Saints Say About Our Lady

“So pleasing to God was Mary’s humility that He was constrained by His goodness to entrust to her the Word, His only Son. And it was that dearest Mary who gave Him to us.”

---St. Catherine of Siena

“Mary’s sole object in this world was to keep her eyes constantly focused on God so as to discover His will. Then when she had found out what God wanted, she did it.”

---St. Bernardine of Siena

“Do not be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her enough. And Jesus will be very happy, because the Blessed Virgin is His Mother.”

---St. Therese of Lisieux

“Blessed are those who cherish the name of Mary. Her favor will sustain them in the midst of trials, and they will bring forth fruits of salvation.”

---St. Anthony of Padua

“May the Blessed Virgin Mary help me to live a holy life and die a holy death. Then at the last instants of my life, may she come to my assistance and lead me to heaven.”

---St. Dominic Savio

“The Blessed Virgin never committed any actual sin - not even a venial one. Otherwise, she would not have been a Mother worthy of Jesus.”

---St. Thomas Aquinas

“Our Lord preserved the soul together with the body of the Blessed Virgin in that purity which became her who was to receive God into her womb. For, as God is holy, He reposes only in holy places.”

---St. John Damascene

“The name of Mary contains the brilliance of the virtues, the sweet refulgence of modesty and the sacrifice pleasing to God. It is the sign of hospitality and the center of holiness.”

--St. Francis Xavier

“Do you wish to know the most initmate perfections of Jesus and the most hidden attractions of His Love? Then seek them in the Heart of Mary!.”

---St. Peter Julian Eymard

“O sinners, be not discouraged...Call Mary to your assistance, for you will always find her ready to help. It is God’s Will that she should help in every need.”

---St. Basil

Our Lady loves only places made low by humility, common by simplicity, but large by charity; she is willingly near the crib and at the foot of the Cross, provided she has her dear Son with her.

---Saint Francis de Sales

What The Saints Say About Our Lady

“Hail Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

---St. Gabriel

“My children, do you want to obtain perseverance? Then be devoted to our Blessed Lady!”

---St. Philip Neri

“If you want to grow in perfection, you cannot advance by yourselves - you need a guide. Hence, when you go to God, go through Mary and with Mary!”

--- St. Maximilian Kolbe

“The Blessed Virgin Mary comforts and refreshes those who are in their last agony. Then she also receives their souls at death.”

--- St. Vincent Ferrer

“Those who love Mary must silence within themselves the desires of the senses. They must also silence the disordered longings of passions.”

--- St. John Eudes

“As a consoler of the human race, Mary never ceases to pour out before her Son her prayer for the salvation of the faithful crushed by the weight of their sins.”

---St. Pius V

“Human beings will never comprehend sufficiently the anguish and immensity of Mary’s sorrows. Very few Christians partake of those sufferings and even fewer offer any consolation to her.”

---St. Bridget of Sweden

“In danger, anguish, or doubt, think of Mary and call upon her! Following her, you will never lose your way. Praying to her, you will never sink into despair. Contemplating her, you will never go wrong.”

---St. Bernard

“Mary’s words were discreet, and her voice was measured. She did not shout and she was careful not to say anything bad about another person - nor even to listen willingly to wrong that was spoken.”

---St. Athanasius

“Ask Mary for the grace to love our Lord as she loves Him and to remain faithful to Him in life and in death.”

---St. Bernadette

What The Saints Say About Our Lady

“Mary is the Divine Page on which the Father wrote the Word of God, His Son.”

--- St. Albert the Great

“Think often of the Blessed Virgin with love. Those who have received the grace to do so posses a great sign of predestination.”

--- St. Ambrose

“We cannot enter a house without first speaking to the porter. Similarly, we cannot enter heaven without calling upon the aid of the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the Portress of Heaven.”

--- St. John Vianney

“When the Holy Spirit finds Mary in a soul, He flies to it. He enters therein and communicates Himself to that soul in abundance.”

--- St. Louis de Montfort

“The purer are your words and your glances, the more pleasing will you be to the Blessed Virgin. And the greater will be the graces that she will obtain for you from her Divine Son.”

---St. John Bosco

“Those who burn with the fire of Divine Love are children of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and wherever they go they enkindle that flame. Nothing distresses them; they rejoice in poverty, labor strenuously, welcome hardships, laugh off false accusations, and rejoice in anguish.”

--- St. Anthony Claret

“The Blessed Virgin once said to me: ‘You think that I obtained grace and virtue without effort. Know that I received no graces from God without great labor, constant prayer, ardent desires, and many tears and mortifications.”

--- St. Elizabeth of Hungary

“Mary would never have found such grace had she not been moderate in food. For grace and gluttony cannot exist together. Blessed are those who abandon themselves into Our Lady’s hands. Their names are written in the Book of Life.”

--- St. Bonaventure

“In heaven Mary remains always in the presence of her Divine Son. There she is continually praying on behalf of sinners.”

---St. Bede

“The Holy Spirit did not describe Mary in the Gospels but left it to you to picture her in your heart. In this way, you might comprehend that there is no grace, no perfection, and no glory conceivable in a simple creature that is lacking to her.”

--- St. Thomas of Villanova

Mary-Our Perfect Example-A Reflection

The beginning of Jesus Ministry did not mean that Mary's involvement lessened nor that she was cast aside, for Mary too was to play an integral part in her Son's Ministry.

It would have been Mary that provided a listening heart to his many friends and followers, as she welcomed them into her home and traveled with them as Jesus preached, taught, and healed the wounded and sick.

I am sure that Mary would have provided a keen insight into their home life to the Apostles, and shared her family joys and sorrows with them. But Mary also was a woman of quiet contemplation and of few words, so she would have listened to these friends of Jesus and provided comfort in their times of confusion and bewilderment.

Wherever they journeyed Mary and the women disciples would have provided care and comfort for not only Jesus but his friends and followers. This meant cooking traditional meals such as bread, the vegetables that were in season, fish, served with olives and goats cheese and meals such as Labaneh and other dishes, spiced with the herbs of the area.

Mary would have also provided a good example for the women followers of Jesus and they would have helped Mary in keeping what ever home they stayed in clean and tidy. They also would have helped Mary in the cooking; one can imagine the men gathered around Jesus listening to him as he spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, whilst Mary and the other women prepared the meals. But what Mary would have shown these women disciples of Jesus, is that though one may be busy at their tasks, still one listens to the voice of God, in a spirit of humble obedience, even in the midst of preparing and cleaning.

So though Mary occupied herself with the daily ritual of cooking, cleaning, knitting and darning the clothes of her Son and his friends, with the help of the other women, she would have incorporated prayer into every activity. This would have been a wonderful example for the other women to follow and is central to the Mission of Jesus, that women were not second class citizens but were an essential part to his Ministry.

But there also would have been occasions of humour and fun amidst the seriousness, and Mary would have shared stories of the infant Jesus and her beloved but deceased husband Joseph, as they conversed together in a spirit of fellowship.

And through the love that Jesus had for his mother, it would have also allowed the other Apostles to see the value which Jesus placed on the importance of women in his Ministry and for women in general.

So throughout Jesus Ministry, Mary too had her role, which was to provide an example of Holy obedience with true meekness of heart and soul, and to ennoble the role of women in the life of Jesus, and in what was to come.