Mary and the Resurrection

Meditation of the Day Monday, 5 April 2010 ----------------- Mary and the Resurrection And when, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, she sensed that the hour of the Resurrection had arrived - that is, that her Son's life was arriving - so that he might take her body into his own glory, she spoke devoutly, saying, "Beloved Son, what have you come to do? .. Oh, seeing that I, uprooted from myself, was crucified and died along with you, did I not deserve from you the favour of being totally immersed in your sufferings? Therefore, oh, take me with you into glory or, as I have repeated so often, leave me to share the pangs of your sufferings." Her most kind Son answered her with respect, in a consoling tone: "My sweetest Mother, this little flock of your children cannot be deprived of your pres­ence. For they would decline in number were they not strengthened by the support of your faith. If they were deprived at the same time of me, their Shepherd and Father, and you, their Mother and Teacher, it would be too much for them to bear. Through them, I must still obtain for myself a people, who will be born from your womb of charity. Therefore, 0 sweetest Mother, bear it with patience when I leave you with them for a time and raise my body to the glory of Majesty." His devoted Mother answered him: "This is what I was pondering attentively: that, as you were dying on your most holy cross, in the midst of your sufferings, you entrusted John to me (see Jn 19: 25-27). Because you include all men in John, this means that my affection embraces all the elect. Then how will I be able to cover the multitude of sinners in your sight if you take from me the cloak of your flesh? How will I wash their disfigured faces if you take from me the bath of your blood? How will I nail them to the cross of your wounds if the mark of those wounds is seen no more? How will I bury them in your death if you take away the experience of your death? Take these things into account, 0 my beloved Son, and leave me, along with your sufferings, the instruments of your passion: the nails, the thorns, the cross, the spear, for without them I cannot live in my passible flesh. You know, 0 dearest Son, that I never defied your will to the slightest degree, and so, if you hear and grant my desire, I will return to you the sub­stance of the flesh that I conceived in my virginity." Then sweetest Jesus, all aflame with love for his Mother, hearing her lament so sorrowfully and lovingly, said to her: "Dearest Mother, I see that you are pleased by my total glorification. I leave you the trea­sure of my love and my bitter suffering, and I impress upon your mind the instruments of my passion." UBERTlNO OF CA5ALE + c. 1330) was a leader of the so-called spiritual Franciscans, a theologian, and a preacher. (MAGNIFICAT Missalette) The Holy Sepulchre (Eugene Hoade, Guide to the Holy Land, p.129) From here we ascend to the Franciscan Church (D) of the Apparition of Jesus to his Mother. Of this apparition the Gospel does not speak, but longstanding tradition has perpetuated its memory in the Church. The Most Blessed Sacrament it reserved in this chapel and the Franciscans day and night recite the Divine Office here. On the altar to the right is the Column of the Flagellation, a fragment of a prophyry column 0,75 m. high. This is probably the column that was revered on Sion from the 4th century, but from the 10th century has been in the church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the back of the chapel of the Apparition stands the Convent of the Franciscans (21) who officiate in the Basilica, and to the left, on leaving, is their Sacristy (22), where are to be seen a pair of gilt spurs and a blade, said to be the "Sword of Godfrey de Bouillon." The sword, the spurs and a pectoral cross are used in creating Knights of the Holy Sepulchre.