She offered herself, completely with all the love of which she was capable, for a child, whom she offers to all of us. In this most holy way, her sorrows are joined to those of the Redeemer whom she bore for the whole world. They together now share His throne, a mystery of love forged from the secret place of royal humilty.

Good News Reflection
Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time
September 15, 2009
 
Today’s Readings:
1 Tim 3:1-13
Ps 101:1-3, 5-6
John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35
http://www.usccb.org/nab/091509.shtml

God wants to embrace you in your sorrows
 
What’s the purpose of your tears when you cry? Usually, my tears mean I want something to change and I’m not going to be happy until it does change. But that only results in swollen eyes and messy tissues. But turn it into a prayer and our sorrow becomes very valuable!
 
It’s healthy to get emotional and pour our sadness into a conversation with God. Our tears are not bullets that shoot our frustrations heavenward in order to force God to hurry up and make things better –¬ even though it can feel that way. In our sorrows, each tear is itself a prayer. When you’re tired of using words, just cry.
 
If tears were not prayer-diamonds, why would our Blessed Mother cry in heaven? Why would she be Our Lady of Sorrows? Isn’t heaven a place of joy, where there is no more sorrow? Yet, Mary cries because people are being hurt by sin in the world. She cries for you when you turn away from her Son. She cries with you when you cry because of the sins of others.
 
Tears shed during prayer time are valuable to God because this is a moment of surrender. We’ve quit trying to change what we cannot change. We might still want to, but while we’re crying we have stopped trying. In that humble surrender, we give God clearance to move in and comfort us.
 
When the Father heard his Son’s prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, he didn’t change what Jesus would have to endure, but he did comfort him. He embraced his Son with tender compassion and sympathy. He sent angels to him for additional support. This gave Jesus the strength to choose obedience and say, “Your will be done, not mine” and to endure his sufferings.
 
Jesus knew from the Psalms, which he had memorized as a boy, that God would rescue him. Now he also knew it in his heart while he cried. The resurrection would come, the promises would be fulfilled, and by surrendering to the Father’s comforting strength, Jesus would be able to travel the path of pain that would eventually lead to the promised victory.
 
In John 19:25-27, we see this comforting embrace repeat itself in the relationship between Mary and the disciple John. This was Mary’s moment of greatest sorrow; she grieved with a heartbreak that only mothers can know. John grieved over the suffering and loss of his dearest friend. And Jesus, despite his own sorrow-filled pain, passed his Father’s inheritance of comfort on to his mother and friend by permanently unifying their mutual embrace into a bond of supportive friendship.
 
It’s in Christian community that we receive God’s comfort. He is giving you caring friends who will embrace you with his love. If you don’t know who these comfort-companions are, look closer and reach out wider; they are here for you. God wants to embrace you through them to give you his tender compassion and sympathy.

He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.’….. Saint Bernardine of Siena

Reflection

I had confided the painful story of my father to my friend. My parents separated bitterly when I was in high school. My father turned against his three sons. He circulated a letter of vicious lies in town to destroy our reputations and moved to Canada to avoid paying child support. I last saw my father in 1964, when I was sixteen. After that, I spoke with him only twice. The last time, he claimed he was not my father and threatened to harm me if I ever contacted him again. Years later, in 1990, I learned that my father had died–and changed his last name!

It was now 1993. My friend knew my pain. In a gentle way we debated our subject over the phone. Citing Jesus’ words, “if there is repentance, you must forgive,” I clung to my anger and the reverse idea that Christians need not forgive, when there is no repentance. My friend and I had debated this issue before. Finally, in this conversation he said, “Here’s what I’m concerned about. What happens to me when I don’t forgive?” This time his words struck me. Beyond my clinging to any proof text, his words spoke to my soul.

My journey included prayer, self-reflection, sharing my journey with others, and my desire to be freed from re-living these nightmares of my past. Above all, I trusted our God of love and forgiveness to go with me, no matter how arduous my journey. Weeks passed into months. Slowly my intense anger began to cool. Finally, after more than two years, a day came when I realized I no longer bore ill will toward my father. With God’s help, I had forgiven him!

I still considered his actions to be wrong. But even so, what a difference! After all those years of simmering anger, I had come to a place where I felt a real sense of peace with my father’s memory–and myself! This experience touched my life and faith deeply….. Dr. Douglas Showalter

Lenten Action

Forgive one who has betrayed you and ask forgiveness from one you have betrayed.

Prayer

O Lord, the hour of your favor draws near, the day of your mercy and our salvation – when death was destroyed and eternal life began. We acknowledge our sins and our offenses are always before us. Blot out all our wrongdoings and give us a new and steadfast spirit. Restore us to your friendship and number us among the living who share the joy of your Son’s risen life.

Gracious Saint Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 95:7-8

Teach us to love each other, Lord,
As we are loved by you;
May hatred for each other cease,
Our spirits, Lord, renew.

Heirs of the same immortal bliss,
Our hopes and fears the same,
With bonds of love our hearts unite,
With mutual love inflame.
(HYMN)

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion,
kindness,humility, gentleness, and patience
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
(Colossians 3:12-14)

Reflection:
If the Lord rescues me from the snare of my faults, should I not extend the same hand of rescue to my neighbor? Resentment, grudges, retaliation do not help the one who offends me. They merely confirm the breach between us. Bridge-building is costly, as the cross demonstrates, but the people stranded on both banks are all freed by the bridge.
MAGNIFICAT VOL. 10, NO.14

May the peace of God which passes all understanding guard our hearts in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen+