Mary as Ark of the Covenant

 This post may not be accurate, but I am impressed with the connection between the Biblical Ark of the Covenant and Mary, that I am reading. If it is true.  I won't post the name and author, here.  I will as a book review.  For now, here is what is claimed:

The Ark of the Covenant carried sacred items.                 Mary carried the Messiah.

When the Ark was carried, it was robed in blue.              Mary traditionally wears blue.

King David retrieved the Ark in Judea.                            Mary traveled to the same place to visit Elizabeth.

David exclaims (2 Sam, 6:9)                                             Elizabeth exclaims (Luke 1: 43)

The Ark stays in Judea for 3 months. 2Sam 6:11             Mary stays with Elizabeth 3 months.  Luke 1:56

David leaps before the Ark.  (2 Sam 6: 14)                     The baby leaps in Elizabeth's womb.  Luke 1: 44

Perspective in the Other's Eyes

 This picture of the snake being crushed by Mary, the Mother of Jesus is fearsome, isn't it?  We have a statue of this in my parish church.  When one of my granddaughters was about three years old, I brought her to church, during the day, when no one was there.  Bishop Robert Barron teaches us that people are attracted to the Catholic Church because of its beauty. So here I am showing her how beautiful everything is.  But when I bring her to the statue of Mary and say "Look, at the beautiful lady...".  She starts walking away with a look of horror on her face!  I follow the gaze of her horror-strucken eyes.  At her eye-level is this snake!

This is a lesson on perspective.  Think of the other's perspective when you explain.

What's the Trick?

 

In Defense of Mary

 A priest was telling us the story about the time he was talking to a class of Jewish students and he was completely taken aback when one student asked him, "How can you base a religion on a rape?"

The student was referring to the pregnancy of Mary.

The priest just said it was a matter of faith.  Well, I thought that was a lame answer.  I still think so but I understand the priest was blind-sided. I immediately thought that I would have answered that a virgin giving birth was predicted in the Old Testament.  So I googled it and only found one reference.  ONE!!! That's all.  I was so disappointed.  

14Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.     Isaiah 7: 14

This morning, I came across another prediction. I am reading Cardinal Ratzinger's book, God is Near Us, and refers to Genisis 3:15: 

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

There can't be any more enmity between evil and God than Jesus.  This verse is referring to Jesus.  But it mentions "the woman."  The woman is Mary. 

Bible hub also has another:

Jeremiah 31:22
How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

Mary does encompass every human, except Jesus, but they both share the same DNA.

The Mother of God

 

I was listening to my local radio station playing Christmas music.  The disc jockey would give explanations for carols and/or music.  I know the disc jockey.  He's a Protestant.  He didn't play any Catholic hymns and his descriptions of his Methodist Christmas Eve service waxed poetic.  It was a description of a candlelight service where the congregation made a circle with just their lit candles.  Then suddenly they all extinguished their candles.  They wait for the Light of the World to be born.

     But he surprised me.  He closed his radio show by talking about the Catholic Mass.  He was accurate too.  He mentioned the Church started with St. Peter, who was our first pope.  He called the Catholic Mass, a highly liturgical ceremony.  He played Ave Maria by Placido Domingo because without Mary there would be no Jesus.  

Her "Yes" Changed the World

The Nativity Story, edited by rose Pacatte, FSP is a collection of meditative stories written by different people.  Each one is different because the authors imagine different views of Mary's life.

    Since the authors are current authors, it is easy to find Mary in today's world.  It is a good discussion book.  Many will find the book full of insight.

Mary.

http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=177977 The next World Youth Day will focus on Mary. This touches me deeply. Currently, I'm reading and participating in Scott Hahn's on-line course for Advent which is about Mary. I've started to read Hahn's book, Hail, Holy Queen. This morning I was brought to my knees by this realization: "Whatever made the ark of the covenant holy made Mary even holier. If the first ark contained the Word of God in stone, Mary's body contained the Word of God enfleshed. If the first ark contained miraculous bread from heaven, Mary's body contained the very Bread of Life that conquers death forever. If the first ark contained the rod of the long-ago ancestral priest, Mary's body contained the divine person of the eternal priest, Jesus Christ."

Dr. Scott Hahn

Our Lady of Gudalupe

http://ncronline.org/blogs/author-discusses-writing-national-geographic-s-december-cover-story-virgin-mary    

Neil brought the December 2005 issue of National Geographic magazine to Bible Sharing, last night.  It was beautiful--the pictures and the article.  Immediately after Bible Sharing, Mary and I went out and bought our own copies of National Geographic.  Then we spent a couple of hours looking and reading the article.

What impressed me the most was the descriptions of Juan Diego's tilma, with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  I couldn't tell if additions suddenly appeared on the image, or were they man-made.

Sometime between 1531 and 1570 the original image on Juan Diego's tilma was embellished.  Gold stars were added to the Virgin's mantle, aligned, according to a Mexican study published in 1983, in their configuration at dawn on December 12, 1531, the day the image allegedly appeared on the tilma.  The Aztec greatly revered the sun god, and glowing rays added behind Mary signify that she comes from heaven and that her god has divine power.

What do you think?  This is a direct quote, p. 54.  Does it read like the stars and sun's rays miraculously appeared, or that a human artist embellished the image?

I think it sounds like a person embellished the image.  But what human artist would dare touch the tilma?  Who could do it justice by embellishing what a divine artist portrayed?  So on second thought, the embellishment must be of divine origin.

Awesome.

Introducing Mary

Advent is a good time to introduce Mary to the catechumenate.  There was a time when I happened to refer to Mary as Mother of God, on Facebook, and a commentator posted that "She is not the Mother of God.  Prove it."  I'm sorry to say that I just ignored his comment because I didn't have the time to get into an argument, besides his tone was so confrontational that I just knew that discussion would be futile and a waste of time.  But I never forgot his comment--Mary is not the Mother of God.

In order to believe that Mary is the Mother of God, you have to believe that Jesus is God.  Since Mary gave birth to Jesus, she is then the Mother of Jesus, Who is God.  To me, it's simple.  So simple that I can't see how everyone cannot see this.

Besides, "Mother of God," is only one title, Catholics use.  We must have over a hundred.  Do people really scrutinize what we call our Mother?  I know people who call their birth mothers all kinds of titles: Meme, Mum, Mom, Mommy, etc., even just using their first name.  I also know someone who calls their mother "Babe;" it's a name they've used since they first learned to talk--copying their father's pet name for his wife.

Someone once said, "No Mary, no Jesus."  I take this as meaning that if Mary hadn't given birth to Jesus, He wouldn't exist.  Also, "Know  Mary, know Jesus."  This means if you look to understand Mary, then you will understand her Son, Jesus.

This month has two Marian feasts: Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Immaculate Conception. I love Our Lady of Guadalupe.  A picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a great visual to explain this apparition.  The concept of the Immaculate Conception is always interesting because once understood, the catechumenate seem proud to correct anyone who thinks the Immaculate Conception applies to Jesus' conception.

Personally, I love Mary, because for me she feminizes a male-dominated church hierarchy. She also is someone I can identify with as a way to get to Jesus.  If I model myself after Mary, I am closer to Jesus.  Mary and I understand each other.  We're BFF.
  

Marian Symbol

This is the symbol on the inside cover of the Catholic Women's Club.  It's the same symbol that graces the cover, every year.  I don't particularly like it.  It looks too spindly.  A child could have drawn it.  But it must have had some meaning for the club to choose that particular emblem.  I asked around and no one seems to know.  I googled it, too.

I was looking for a name for it.  Something like Chi Rho, Tau, Jerusalem cross, would be nice.  But no one seems to know.

If you break down the picture, you see the Ave Maria symbol on the bottom.  A crown is on the top.  So Mary, Queen of ????????.  It's the flower in the middle, that's the puzzle.  It could be a lily, except a lily doesn't have petals that point down.  Maybe it's a sorrowful lily?  It could be an edelweiss.

Mary, Queen of purity --  lily.
Mary, Queen of sorrow -- downward petals.
Mary, noble queen--edelweiss.

Last Sunday, I found myself sitting in a pew, in an area where I don't usually sit.  I looked up and saw this.

It's beautiful.  Now here's a symbol to be proud of; whatever  it represents.

Worshipping Mary--Not!

Yesterday's encounter with the ministers was still on my mind.  So I asked my RCIA candidates and catechumenate, what they thought of the ministers' refusal to engage in conversation with me.

Geeesh!  If I had said, "Look at the facial expressions of 'Little Bo Peep,' in these paintings.  What do you think?"  Would the ministers have reacted differently?

They can't even look at Mary?

Come on!

Sigh......

Well, the RCIA candidates who were Protestants, and the one Buddhist, said that "Mary" was the issue.  If I had said the woman was Little Bo Peep, the ministers would have responded differently.  Mary is the problem.

Sad, very sad.

One of the candidates is a former Protestant who has some sort of mystical relationship with Mary.  In fact, he said that Mary told him to go to the Catholic Church.  He seems normal; he's your average guy; until you bring up the subject of Mary.  He wears a rosary around his neck and also, another rosary is wrapped around his wrist and somehow his middle finger back down to his wrist.  He constantly prays the rosary--all day.

Yet, he seems like the average guy.  He told me that the ministers won't even entertain thoughts of Mary.  They dismiss even thinking about her, like a Christian should dismiss evil thoughts.

I said to him, "You do know that Catholics don't worship Mary?"
Everyone answered in agreement, except for him.  He insisted that Mary was right up there with the Trinity because there would be no Son if it weren't for her.

While that's true, there's only one God and that's who Catholics worship.    Mary is reverenced, greatly, but not worshiped!  I couldn't get him to agree to that.  I kind of think he wants to be Catholic because he loves Mary so much, he wants to worship her.  As a Protestant he was taught that Catholics worship Mary, and that's the reason he wants to join the Catholic Church.  Lord help me explain to him that it's only You Who is God.

Finally, I told him to pray about it.  He must continue reading and praying for understanding and wisdom.  Me too!  I need to find a way to tell this man that Mary is not equal to God.  Catholics do not worship Mary.

Traditional Mary

See these artists' depictions of Mary at the Annunciation.  My "cloistered brothers" and I were discussing the artists' interpretations.  Of course, this led to our own individual ideas of Mary at the Annunciation.

I think we passed a couple of hours in discussion.  It was very spiritually fruitful.  I was very impressed with this session.  I'm still meditating about our thoughts.

What is troubling is the fact that some people miss out on the Catholic view of Mary, the Annunciation, and Incarnation of Christ.  Walking away from having this graced filled experience with my "cloistered brothers,"  I walked with a couple of Protestant ministers.  I was so filled with the enthusiastic  benevolence I had received from this discussion, that I talked about my experience with these ministers.

I showed them these pictures.  I pointed out the various different expressions on Mary's faces.  I rattled on about some of the insightful comments my "cloistered brothers," shared.  I was happily praising and presenting my own interpretations.

But they looked embarrassed.  They put their heads and eyes down.

One of them said, "I take a more traditional view of Mary."

"OK"  I said.  "What's more traditional than Fra Angelico's Mary?  Look at this beautiful picture of the angel announcing...."  I could see he was shaking his head "No."

"OK" I continued.  "You know Mary is called the New Eve.  How far back do I have to go, for you to consider Mary traditional?"

They walked away from me, shaking their heads.

I don't get it.  They can't even look at Mary?  They can't look at art?  What do they do in school when the teacher discusses Michelangelo, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Lippi, etc?

Who do they think the scriptures are referring to as the Daughter of Zion, the embodiment of Nation Israel, the Ark of the Covenant, the bride at the Messianic Wedding Banquet, etc.?

What about Genesis 3: 15
Isaias 7: 1-17
Micheas 5: 2-3
Jeremias 31:22
.....

Wow.  I don't get it.  Thank God I'm Catholic and can appreciate more fully the Trinity and all its revelatory experience.

The Visitation

Back in the days, when I was in high school, every once in awhile, one of the girls in my school, would go on hiatus.  Everyone was told that she was visiting relatives somewhere distant and would be back next year.
     
     We all knew what that meant.  She was pregnant and was sent away to have her baby.  She'll be back after the baby was born.

     Nowadays, there's no shame in being an unwed mother.  In fact, it's pretty common for girls not to marry their babies' father.  But that's neither here nor there; it has nothing to do with my point.

    All the readings today are about the Visitation, Luke 1:39-56.  Neither Luke, nor the other readings I read in preparation for today (Father Gabriel of Saint Mary Mgdalen, O.C.D, and Heather King)*, nor any other readings, I've ever read, mention the fact that she might have been sent away.  After all, it was a shame and scandal to be an unwed mother.

I think it's an excellent possibility that was the underlying reason for going to visit, and staying awhile, with a distant cousin.

Think about it.  It was the perfect excuse.  Yet it's the very same excuse pregnant and unwed girls, used.

* Readings for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Magnificat http://www.magnificat.com/

Crowning Mary

In medieval religious writings, the soul is often described as a garden.  And a rose garden is one of the most beautiful.  Roses are often weaved into a garland and placed on Mary's head.  "Bring flowers of the rarest" is a traditional song for crowning Mary.

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.

Many saints had visions of Mary with flowers.  St. Louis de Montfort thinks a garden dedicated to Mary symbolizes the Garden of Eden.  St. Francis tells of a novice who found himself in a room bathed in a heavenly light facing Our Lady with two angels.  Beautiful roses burst from his mouth as he prayed Hail Mary.  And the angels picked them up and made a crown to place on Mary's head.  

Repetition of a single prayer as a background to meditation has been practiced as a centering technique, for a long time.  From the thirteenth century the Rosary has been prayed, ever since Dominic had a vision of Mary, and ever since preached the Rosary for the rest of his life.  Our Lady appeared to Dominic and prayed with him.

Heaven was opened for him to see and the whole heavenly court was assembled in magnificent array.  He heard them sing the rosary in an enchanting melody and each decade was in honor of the life, passion and glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother.  He noticed that whenever they said the sacred name of Mary they bowed their head and at the name of Jesus they genuflected and gave thanks to God for the great good that He had wrought in Heaven and on earth through the Rosary, which the confraternity members say here on earth.  He noticed too that they were praying too for those who practiced this devotion.  He also saw beautiful crowns without number, which were made of gorgeous flowers held in readiness for those who pray the Rosary devoutly.  He learned that by every rosary that people pray, they make a crown for themselves, which they will be able to wear in heaven.

When I read this in Andrea Oliva Florendo's The Liturgy of  Flowers in a Mary Garden, I couldn't help but think of my own poor praying habits.  I certainly hope intention and perseverance earn a crown, because my praying too, too often, isn't prayed very devoutly.  I keep trying.  I'm a saint in the making.

Family May Procession

Web surfing tonight, I found a wonderful blog.  It's called Catholic Icing.  The blogger has some very creative ideas for teaching children about the Catholic Faith.  The blog is aimed for people with children and/or home school.  I do neither.  I was looking for things to do with my granddaughter.  She's only two, so she limited as to what she can do.

Since May is less than a week away, I searched the ideas for Mary.  There are many.  And I was inspired.  Since my granddaughter is always playing princess, I thought we'd make a crown for the Queen of Heaven, and my granddaughter could be the princess.  She could have a crown too.  We'll sing and process out to the statue of Mary in the garden.

I can't wait to babysit!

The Blessed Mother's Chakra Energy

Looking at the differences between the authentic Fatima Statue and the "Hollywood" traveling one, I noticed something interesting. Our Blessed Mother is gathering the "good energy" from heaven, in one hand, and sending the "bad energy" back into the earth.

What??? It's part of Tai Chi, and Yoga, and Prana, etc. IOW, it's a common stance to receive the good and get rid of the bad. I'm talking about energy, or chakra.

I'm not saying what this means. But it's interesting.

Other differences between the statue that Sr. Lucia directed and the showy one,directed by the Bishop of Fatima are:

One is simple----- one is dressed for a "Hollywood" gala
One is veiled----- one wears a humongous crown
One's dress is simple----- one has a lot of "bling"
One's heart is outside----- one doesn't depict a heart
One's hands are in chakra position----- one's hands are folded in prayer

One thing to keep in mind. It's ONLY a statue. Catholics don't worship statues. Catholics honor Mary. Whichever statue turns you on, then let it give you inspiration to venerate the Mother of God.

Mary

Like most Catholics, I have a special devotion to Mary.  I pray the Rosary; my favorite prayer is Hail Holy Queen; I actually like the Roman version of Salve Regina; I remember fondly childhood May processions; I like May Crownings, and I celebrate Mary's feast days.  I have enough statues of Mary in my bedroom to make my husband complain that we sleep in a shrine.

She is someone whom we can relate to: mother, wife, parent, spouse, friend, widow.  She was poor, and knew exile.  She had her entire life turned upside down at least twice.  She watched her only child be tortured, and suffer and die.  Also, for me, she feminizes my Roman Catholic religion, which has a very male-heavy hierarchy.  Thank God for Mary.

Mary is not God, of course.  Catholics do not worship her.  But closeness to her brings God closer to us.  My prayer life proves this to me.  Prayers to Mary enrich my spiritual life as she directs me to God.  She leads the way to Him.  

Mother of Divine Grace

Being the most perfect of God's creatures, Mary is protrayed in prints, pictures, sculpture and other modes of expression. "The Lord is with you," Gabriel tells Mary. He says she is "full of grace." God's love fills her and the life giving power of the Holy Spirit comes to fruition within her. God is Mystery; likewise, Mary. She is the Salve Regina, "our life, our sweetness, our hope."

Our hope for glory is Jesus Christ, but Mary is part of that glory so that she is also our hope.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, come to us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

I thought this beautiful picture of Mary by Mr. Michael Kelley, O.P. was apropos, for the day.

Day With Mary

What a busy day! This morning, a couple of friends and myself went down to the Priory at Providence College for A Day with Mary. Two Dominican Laity Groups sponsored the event. We prayed, sang, had a talk by Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P.. He was very good. He explained Marian Dogma by going through the Hail Mary. He also touched on abortion and euthanasia--well he is an ethicist/biologist. He made the picture whole.
Naturally we prayed the Rosary. Father celebrated Mass and then we ate lunch there. It was a very good morning.
Later, I Lectored at the 7:00 PM Mass. After Mass I went over to the Parish Appreciation Night. We ate and socialized. Now I'm exhausted.