When Eugene told us always to regard Mary as our Mother, he was sharing his own deep conviction and personal experience with us.
I had not felt for a long time as much joy in speaking of her grandeur and in encouraging our Christians to put all their confidence in her, as during my instruction to the Youth Congregation this morning.
I can safely hope I was understood and I can well believe that all the faithful who came to our church this evening shared the fervor with which I was inspired at the sight of the statue of the Holy Virgin
and greater still by the graces which she obtained from her divine Son, I dare say, while we were invoking her with so much affection, because she is our Mother.
Letter to Henri Tempier, 15 August 1822, EO VI n 86
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. Luke 1:46-49
“For in my tradition, as a Jew, I believe that whatever we receive we must share.” Elie Wiesel
Mary, Our Lady and our mother gave her “fiat” – “let it be done unto me according to your word”. This I think is the response of mothers throughout the ages as they give their all to God through their families, their children. And Eugene – who gave his all to God in his Oblates, his family and to those he ministered to, his beloved poor.
I find such great solace and comfort in looking to Mary, she is our mother, always. And as I ponder I think of how we call our Church “her” when we speak of it – our Holy Mother Church – interesting I have not really looked at that. Sometimes I think that I might spend too much time worrying and struggling with our “Church” and the way it is broken and very human, much as was my own mother, as am I. I think of those who we entrust, through others to run our Church, to animate and teach, who we/I do not always like or agree with, or even understand. And I think that now more than ever we/I must pray for them and not just a surface prayer because it is something we “have to do” or have “been told to do”.
This was not on my agenda for today and I am not quite sure what to do with all of this. I feel like I am having to let go of something big here and I am not sure of what. There is truth all around me and I want to cry. I am asking God if this is why I have been brought to Rome – it has to be for more than just my little prayers.
Today I will step out into the busyness and pulse of Rome – with life all around me. I ask Mary to guide me and to speak to my heart. I must laugh at myself and thank God – God is not done with me yet.
I have following along for a few days unable to think of an appropriate comment. Today is the day.
My soul resonates with Eugene’s words today. My mother’s name was Mary and, I had an encounter with the Virgin Mary along the Camino 2 years ago. Through Mary, I saw the truth. From time to time I struggle with my faith – not faith in Jesus or in God, but in the overall ‘story’ we have been given by the Church and to a lesser extent in the Bible.
Suffice it to say, whenever I so struggle, I look for an image or statue of Maryand immideately my fears and doubts are calmed. Hence, today with Eugene’s fervour over the joy he experienced every time he gazed at Mary’s statue – is something that I understand at a very deep level.
I am back because I have just come from the chapel here at the General House in Rome. I have seen the very statue that Eugene is talking about. It is striking and inspite of myself I find myself being touched somehow. I stood in front of the statue and instead of being distracted by any of it, I found myself just being with it, and it was, it is okay. Then I found my way, I was shown, to the two side chapels, the first with the actual altar from France which Eugene prayed at and the second with an incredible statue of Eugene standing on the world (which contains his heart).
I did not think I would react this way but I am. I find myself crying but I cannot say why. But just as with the statue of Our Lady I find myself filled with gratitude and an intense sense of belonging, right where I am. If ever there was a doubt (which there isn’t but if there was), about myself as an Oblate Associate it is or would be forever banished. Just as my heart has been touched by Eugene’s somehow, so has this statue of Mary changed how I will see her. The distractions are going/gone and it will be a joy to pray before her here. Still not my favorite image but I think I will be able to move past it somehow and this will be the image I return to over and over again.
I do not understand it, I can only thank God for whatever is being done to me, and Eugene for inviting me to join his family. Again so much more than I could have expected or ever dreamed of.
“For in my tradition, as a Jew, I believe that whatever we receive we must share.” Elie Wiesel
I very much appreciate the insights of my sister and brothers above. They teach me much and bright the way.
This quote from Elie Wiesel speak to me about the reading in MK of the widow’s mite. So often we forget that this Jewish widow evangelized the disciples. 1986 Missionaries in Today’s world ” #16 we choose to be poor to enter more perfectly into communion with Jesus and the poor. …Thus we are evangelized by them and we become for them better witnesses to the presence of Jesus.
Thinking of Mary, a young girl of no consequence, and her total acceptance of what God was asking of her, knowing full well the horrendous implications, and reading all my fellow Oblate thoughts on this post, I cannot help but think how God always chooses the poor, the least likely, the “nobody” to deliver His message and be our example.
In particular, I cannot help but think of Malala Yousafzai, this 14yr. old girl in Pakistan who dared to speak out against the Taliban, knowing full well the likely consequences. Yet she found the courage to demand simple human rights and dignity.
Her action has done more to draw people of all faiths, all around the world, together more than all the homilies delivered and articles written by “experts” on this topic.
For whatever reason, God chooses to work through us, the least likely. May we too have the courage to say, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.”