|
|
|
Monthly
Articles |
 |
| |
See also: Prepare for the Afterlife
See also: The Third Hour - Intercessory Prayer
See also: Angels are Pure Spirits
See also: Science, Religion & the Human Genome
See also: Eucharist - A Glimpse of Heaven on Earth
See also: How Do You Know If You Have Faith?
See also: The Fool Has Said There Is No God
See also: The Virgin of Nazareth
See also: Love Speaks - Our Lady & St.Faustina
See also: Divine Mercy and Our Church
See also: "Glory Be" Novena
See also: The Gaze of the Master
See also: When the last day comes, you shall be judged on this..
See also: The Image of Divine Mercy is a Living Image
See also: Celebrating Mercy
See also: Mercy Sunday
See also: "If your eye should cause you to sin pluck it out" by Fr. John Harris OP
See also: Angel on my Shoulder
See also: Christ Victorious
See also: The Brothers of Mercy
See also: The Sisters of The Merciful Jesus "Part 4"
See also: "The Sisters of The Merciful Jesus" Part 3
See also: "Sisters of The Merciful Jesus" Part 2
See also: "The Sisters of The Merciful Jesus" Part 1
|
Have You Met My Son? By Fr. John Harris |
In her Diary St. Faustina recounts a vision she had of Our Blessed Lady and the Christ Child. It took place in Vilnius on November 15, 1935. At the time St. Faustina was praying at the shrine of the famous image of Mary, Mother of Divine Mercy when the Christ Child appeared stretching out his hands to His Blessed Mother (the image had taken on a living appearance) and then to the congregation. During this mystical experience Mary spoke to Faustina.
St. Faustina writes that the Blessed Mother was telling her to accept all that God asked of her like a little child, without questioning. Even when the vision had ended the young nun writes "my soul was filled with great joy and gladness, and I said to the Lord, "Do with me as You please; I am ready for everything, but You, O Lord, must not abandon me even for a moment" (Diary 549).
This vision of St. Faustina reminds us of the great encounter between Jesus and his mother Mary in the Gospel of St. John at the wedŽding feast of Cana shows us that the mystical experience of Faustina is in complete accord with the Gospel message.
For all truly Christian experiences in prayer and life must be moments of the Gospel touching our lives. Without this Gospel context one would have to quesŽtion the truth of the experience.
God has spoken to us in the words and actions of the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and all truly Christian encounters are the Gospel being preached once again.
We all know the story of the wedŽding feast of Cana, how during a wedding the supply of wine runs out and Mary becoming aware of it tells her son, They have no wine. It is interŽesting to note that Mary did not tell Jesus what to do, but her attitude was that of trust.
Her whole life was one of openŽness to God's activity. Because of this Mary is the woman who always says yes to God. She has no fear; there is no hint of trying to do a deal with Jesus. It is as if she is saying "Jesus I trust in you". For Mary, prayer is not telling God what to do but an attitude of loving trust in God's mercy.
The reaction of Our Blessed Lord (Jn 2:4) takes us by surprise and it is difficult to translate it from the Greek in a way that makes sense to us in English. There are various posŽsible translations and among the most popular are: "Woman why turn to me? My hour has not yet come"; "Woman, your thoughts are not mine, my hour has not yet come"; "Woman what conŽcern is that to you and me? My hour has not yet come".
The free translation I like is Jesus saying to his mother "Woman do you know what you are starting, my hour has not yet come".
The free translation is trying to get across the urgency of Jesus' words to his mother. He is saying to her that once He begins this work of miracles and thus the announcing of the coming of God's Kingdom on earth, does she realise where it will bring him and indeed where it will bring her.
Once Jesus begins his works of mercy they will not stop until they bring him to the greatest work of mercy on the Cross and at the foot of the Cross she will stand. Here again on the Cross He will turn to Mary, his mother and call her "Woman".
The miracle of the wedding feast of Cana, an act of mercy on the part! of Jesus, begins his whole life of mercy. Once He pours out his love in this situation of need then there is no stopping for him.
He will continue to pour out his mercy on the whole world. What begin very simply at the wedding will take over his whole life until He becomes mercy. With God there is no half measures, whatever He does He does completely. Once the flood gates of his mercy are opened then they will never close.
It is not recorded how Mary reacted to Jesus' question. The Gospel tells us she simply went to the servants and said "Do whatever He tells you"! This is exactly what she told Faustina in the vision in 1935. It is as if Mary's basic piece of advice is to say to everyone, "Have you met my Son, go to him and do whatever He tells you"!
Mary wants us to meet her Son! She knows that it is only when! we meet him and trust in him that great things can happen in our lives. No matter what is going on in our lives, what disasters may be threatening us, what fears we may hold the answer from Mary, the advice from Mary is always the same "Go to my Son, get to know him and then do as He tells you".
And there is no better way of getting to know her Son than by trusting in him. We can trust him because He is mercy. He is God touching our human journey.
When his mercy touches our lives and at times our very troubled lives He can transform them beyond all recognition. He turns water in wine. But it not simply water, it is water that is poured into the water-jars which were used by the Jews for purification.
The water from these jars was used to clean off the dust from the streets and no one would ever think of drinking from them. Yet Jesus takes this water, and transforms it in wonderful wine. He transforms a situation of grime and dirt into the celebration of his goodness and generosity.
So it is for us when we do as Mary tells us, and meet him in our trust. He can transform situations which we may be ashamed of, despairing of but with the touch of his presence make them into celebrations of his wonderful goodness and generosity. Only He can do such a wonderful thing and Mary knows this.
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
