We will shortly celebrate the feasts of the Sorrowful Mother and the
Triumph of the True Cross, both of which are a significant part of our
symphony of suffering here on earth.
The life of Christ is our example in everything we think, do, and say.
Or, rather, Christ's example should be the slide rule of life for all, but
sadly, it isn't. His life was one of poverty, suffering, and sorrow,
interlaced with the joy of doing the Will of God the Father. Mary's life
was no different. The joy of the Annunciation was the beginning of the
Sorrowful Mother who gave her Divine Son to God, who gave Him to the
people, who gave Him over to a cruel death, who saw Him buried, and
rejoiced at his Resurrection and Ascension.
To get to the Resurrection and the Ascension Our Lord suffered, died, and
was buried. Our Lady was there throughout the Sacred Passion of her Divine
Son, and her tears were no less copious than any mother's would be for
their child.
We have completed Labor Day, upon which the majority reflects that it is a
day when the daily grind of work gives way to parties, picnics, and the
like. We have watched the school year start in earnest, have seen the
undue pressures and stress this causes upon children of all ages, the
unspeakable costs of a private education which is now for the elite, rather
than the common working people, and we've witnessed the sad but true
decline of morality in our country from the Presidency, to the kids on
campus, even in elementary school.
In reflecting upon the upcoming feasts we will celebrate, I am inspired by
the Holy Spirit to tell you that, on these days, as on all days, our entire
being should turn to God. We should seek the intercession of His Holy
Mother, who is our mother in the most sublime way, and seek to give to her
our tears as well as our joys.
We do this in the hope and trust that even in the time of trials, we are
moving forward on the road to Heaven, that our feet will not become mired
in our trials, but like true disciples of Jesus Christ, we will pick up our
crosses daily for love of Him. We have only to look at Him, and we will
know that He has suffered everything for us already, and is there to help
us on our journey. We have only to look at the Blessed Mother to
understand that she, too, has suffered more than all mothers, and by her
suffering has fulfilled God's Will perfectly.
That should be our goal, our only goal-to do God's Will perfectly, despite
the moral climate of the world, despite the flux of the economy, the crisis
within the church, within our schools and within the political arenas of
the world. What does it benefit us if we spend our entire day being
bombarded by the news, from the paper, to the radio, to the endless TV news
programs? What good does it do our soul to play the stock market? What
good does it do us to cave in to the moral decline, while we watch our
children slide further along the road to perdition?
What are we to do? In human terms, there is no easy solution. In terms
of faith, the solution is very simple, and it forms the most beautiful
melody upon earth. The simple solution is to live our faith-go to Holy
Mass, receive the Sacrament of Penance regularly, go to Holy Communion as
often as we can, and at all times to make our lives a living prayer to God.
If we seek Him, then our Heart is safely within the Refuge of His Most
Sacred Heart. If we are in this refuge, then the world can go its deadly,
merry way and we will not be affected.
Do we pray? Do we go to Holy Mass prepared, or distracted? Do we receive
the Sacrament of Penance with a humble, obedient attitude, or is it just
something we do because we feel obligated to do it.
Our Lady's feasts are all intertwined. They are intertwined, as a
symphony is intertwined by many melodies, with the life of her Divine Son,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To celebrate one is to respect and honor
all of the feasts, even if we are unaware of the total picture.
This coming week is a time for us to get into harmony with the angels and
saints. We have to be in harmony with God's Will if our symphony is going
to be perfected. God's graces are there, but we need to ask for them, and
we do so with prayer from and with our heart. We turn to Him with trust
and He responds with Loving Mercy. He gives to us His own Mother to guide,
guard and protect our symphony of suffering, for she joins it to her own
symphony of suffering, which is now perfected in the eternal embrace of
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
On the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, and on the Feast of the True Cross,
let us remember that we are an intricate part of an intricate melody, whose
strains are heard in Heaven. If we are to gain Heaven, then let us
petition God, through the Cross of Jesus Christ, and the intercession of
Mary Most Holy, to grant us the graces necessary to make beautiful music
here on earth, so we may sing His praises forever in eternity.