She’s Waiting for You too

In addition to the entire month of May, the Catholic calendar contains nineteen universal days set aside to especially honor the Mother of God. September 12^th was the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary.

I always particularly love the Marian days but last month was also a sort of anniversary for me. I think it happened on the day before the Feast of the Assumption in 2003. I’m not sure, it didn’t occur to me at the time to mark the date. But that was the day that Mary introduced herself to me. My own Marian feast day of sorts.

I went to bed the night before, feeling bad about myself. In my pride, I had slighted someone undeserving of it. It wasn’t that great of an incident. Just a casual remark, like many I’d made countless times in the past. Such a small, small thing. Something I would say and think nothing of ever again. Yet on this night, I tossed and turned, unable to let the moment go. I realized for the first time that I had actually damaged another person with my words. It hurt.

The meditation with which I had experimented for years wasn’t easing my mind. I tossed and turned. I prayed the Our Father. That was a prayer I would occasionally still recite despite my disbelief in any Christian theory. It was easy and I could mold it to fit whatever I wanted. In a fit of despair, I did something I hadn’t done in probably 20 years. I don’t know why I did it. I was very much against it. I prayed the Hail Mary.

Up until that time, I had lived a life not too much different than most people my age. Maybe I had traveled a bit more. Read a bit more. I was conservative by the standard of the day. Still worldly, rather-selfish. I had dumped the lifeless Catholic Faith I was confirmed in and replaced it with a pursuit of happiness through material things and intellectual stimulation. I wanted to be my own man. I wanted to be free from any constraints – earthly or divine. A structured, rigid, dominating, archaic religion of superstition was the last thing I would brook. I believed in God. “A” god. Impersonal and vague, mostly hands-off. But only I knew what was best. On my checks was printed “I have no master and will never have any.”

Although I didn’t realize it, as I prayed the Hail Mary on that hot August night, I was admitting that I didn’t know what was best anymore. That I needed help. And someone must have fed me the words because I surely had forgotten them.

I don’t remember falling asleep that night but I remember waking up. Sobbing. The sun was up. I remember my heart pounding in my chest and my hands shaking. My first thought wasn’t “what is happening?” but rather “what do I do now?” because the act had already been accomplished. I remember the exhilarating feeling that from now on, nothing would ever again be the same. I remember profound sorrow mixed with profound joy. And I remember – distinctly – the presence of the Holy Virgin.

That presence followed me for weeks. Through my hasty scramble to a church (of course the one I found was the Cathedral of Saint Mary), with me into the confessional, and by my side at my first Mass and Communion since I was a teenager. I never doubted it. It was real and it was normal. She was there, always, pointing me towards her Son. Through her, I came to truly know Jesus. And through Him, the Father.

At first, I thought that what had happened to me was unique. But as I grew in knowledge of my re-found Faith, I realized that my experience was … common. I was amazed to learn of the similarities of my own re-conversion with that of others over the centuries. Instead of lessening the impact of my turnabout, it strengthened it. Mary had made me an active partner, although far too often a silent one, in the history of man’s relation with God. She was just waiting for me to ask.

Mary is known by an almost endless stream of titles: Queen of Heaven, Help of Christians, Comforter of the Afflicted, Mother of Mercy, Our Lady of Good Success, Star of the Stormy Sea, ad infinitum … some great saints have even held her to be the Mediatrix of All Graces. All of her names are given because of her direct intercession, one way or another, into the lives of us all. That’s what she does. Sometimes she’s subtle, like at the Wedding Feast of Cana. And at other times she’s striking, like at Fatima. She was assumed into heaven almost two millennia ago but her tender love for us continues to open our hearts and minds to God’s grace. She is the Mother of God. She is Mary.

May the Most Holy Name of Mary, under whatever title precedes it, be always honored for the faith and hope and love it conveys. Take a small break from your days this week and thank Mary and ask for her intercession.

She’s waiting for you too.

Our Lady… in Blue Jeans?

My grandma’s first wages were in US silver dollars. She had them forged into a Rosary then gave them to my mom. I don’t recall seeing my mom use it much but she prayed when she’s in crisis.  When she was visited by a dead aunt who asked about me, she prayed the Hail Mary.  But the aunt did not vanish; she prayed back with the Holy Mary.  I was an infant then but that was my first involvement with the mother of God.

Fast forward to 2nd grade.  I volunteered to bring our statue of Mary for the shrine building contest.  And this happened every year until 6th grade.  Also, I visited the Blessed Sacrament during recess and stopped to talk to a life sized statue of Mary Help of Christians.  Although she didn’t answer (interlocution), I always felt relief and happiness after the talk.

Around 30 years after, I heard about alleged interlocutions at Conyers, GA.  I thought that if our Lady took the trouble to come over, then the least that I can do is to be there.  So, I flew over, slept at a hotel, rented a car and drove to the site at the scheduled date.  When I got there, I walked and looked around for something awesome – like a dancing sun.  But there was nothing except for the realization that God is most offended by abortion.  Upon my return, I called on a few friends to join me in stopping abortions.  Weekends after that, we stood at the gates of the clinics holding pictures of a fetus to show the mother that she’s not popping a zit but killing a person - with a head, torso, arms and legs.  That was a harrowing experience but we came out unscathed; because, we prayed the Rosary every time.

Now for the pièce de résistance.  It was during that campaign when I woke up one Friday morning with the assurance that I will meet the Blessed Mother that day.  There was no nervousness, anxiety or distress.  It felt serene and peaceful with subdued anticipation.  I was off that day so, I visited to the basilica of the Immaculate Conception.  I went to shop below and bought a statue of Our Lady of the Americas.  I don’t know about that apparition, but our Lady is our Lady no matter where she shows up; besides, it was on sale.

Then I went up and strolled into the side chapels – partly praying, partly admiring the art work.  As I left the chapel of Our Lady of Poland, a woman stepped out of the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe and greeted me.

She said, “What’s in the bag?” “It’s a statue of our Lady”, I replied.  She asked to see it and I showed her.  “She’s beautiful” she said.  “What’s your name?” I asked.  “Sophia” she answered.  By this time, I smelled the stench of urine from her unwashed jeans.  I also noticed her bare feet with chipping red nail polish.  She wore a white T-shirt, was medium built, around 5’ 6” with fair complexion.  Her hair was flat and long and her face was average - for want of a better term.  She was neither ugly nor beautiful.  Besides, I did not really check her out because at the back of my head, she could be the Blessed Mother.  Long story short, we parted casually although I asked her for prayers after handing her a couple of bucks.  I didn’t know what I was thinking.

Later, I told a priest about it.  He said there are a lot of homeless women in the area.  Then I thought that Mother Mary didn’t have much, if any, after St. Joseph died and the Lord left home to preach.  Was she also homeless when she started to follow her son?  And, “Sophia” is Greek for wisdom; one of her titles is “Seat of Wisdom”.  Finally, she came out of the Guadalupe chapel.  Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Pro-life movement.

But it can all be a coincidence but not for me.  Ever since, our Lady is no longer a person whom I read or heard about.  She’s Sophia who had no place to lay her head yet had time to pray at her Father’s house.   She’s my friend and I am her servant.

Jesus, Mary & Joseph - an example for today’s families

There are many people who do not have a definite knowledge about how to be a good father or an ideal mother, or how to bring up children in the proper way. The Bible contains sufficient teaching in order to create a holy atmosphere in the home. God gives us the Holy Family as a model.

We find the example of an ideal family in Jesus, Mary and Joseph. If we watch them and listen to them carefully we can lead a good family life. Joseph accepted Mary as his wife knowing that it was the will of God. A good husband is the one who seeks God’s will. From Joseph we learn that we should not put to shame the wife whom God gives. Joseph “did not want to disgrace Mary”(Mt.1:19). The husband is bound to accept as wife the woman whom God gives him. In time of doubt without giving in to grief Joseph prayed to God. God intervened and removed his doubts. When doubts or suspicions arise in a family the husband as well as the wife should listen to the voice of God.]

Having heard God’s voice, in spite of great sacrifice, Joseph took Mary and infant Jesus into exile in Egypt. He did not grumble. Being the head of the family Joseph had to select the place God showed him in order to save the mother and child from the hands of the enemy. In the same way every head of the family ought to protect the members of his family from dangers. He should keep them away from places that may be detrimental to their innocence, from friends and neighbours who may lead them to sin.

When God spoke through her husband Mary obeyed him and took the child and went with him to Egypt. An ideal wife should pray to God to grant through the husband proper place, environment and protection needed for the family. Both Mary and Joseph went together to present Jesus in the Temple. From this we learn that parents should be united in bringing children according to Divine Will. It is good for children’s spiritual growth if parents accompany the children in going to Church festivals. “They went to the festival as usual”(Lk.2:42).

The parents must pray and make sincere effort to instill in their children interest and attraction for holy matters. Instruct them in divine things from their childhood. When Jesus was only twelve years of age the temple authorities were dismayed at his replies. Later He had to face a lot of trials. Like Jesus up to about thirty years children will go through severe trials and temptations. They will have to face temptations from the devil, from worldly desires, greed for power and concupiscence of the flesh.

In these circumstances the parents must be there to strengthen the children. It is necessary that parents should help, protect and pray for the children to overcome the devil’s temptations. They must stand by them in their success and failures. Mary was with Jesus during his ministry and His passion and death. The Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit are necessary to overcome the devil. Children must be taught and reminded of the desert experience of Jesus. If you lead a family life in this manner your children will be blessed.

Through your children you and your posterity will receive glory before God. There has never been a son like Jesus; and there have never been parents comparable to those of Jesus. Try to bring up your children in the Love of God like Jesus and pray for the fruits of Divine grace.

Let Me Introduce My Mother

I Didn’t Know Her
When I was in college, I sang baritone in four choirs. So did Diane.

Diane was a soprano gifted with an incredible voice. With a rich, warm tone and a range just short of three octaves, Diane was one of those gifted singers that could make anything sound perfect.

Vocal jazz - perfect.
Chamber music - perfect.
Choral music - perfect.
Broadway show-tunes - beyond perfect.

Diane was also strikingly beautiful. From her almond shaped eyes, her mane of curly auburn hair and the light sprinkling of freckles across her perfect nose, Diane was admired by almost every baritone (including me) and envied by more than one of the other ladies in the choir.

Just recently, I took my wife and son to an outdoor doo-wop concert featuring some old buddies from my college choir. When I went to congratulate my old friends after the concert, guess who I ran into.

Diane.

I must admit, I was stunned. Even after twenty years, she had changed very little, except for a few smile lines around her eyes. She was still a lovely woman. With those darned freckles. Although I recognized her immediately, I found myself unable to approach her and say hello. Why?

I realized that I didn’t know her.

Sure, my memories of her from college are all great. I remember her singing “America the Beautiful” with…oh gosh, I don’t remember her name…but I remember Diane. I remember she was kinda quiet, humble, smiled a lot, acted gently and generally seemed to treat everyone with kindness and respect. The truth is, I liked and admired Diane, even though I didn’t know her personally.

So when I saw her after the outdoor concert, I couldn’t bring myself to say hello. Oh, I’m sure if I had said hello, she would’ve greeted me kindly and graciously. But I didn’t know her.

So, instead of saying hello, I left, realizing I probably would never see her again.

I’m telling you this story because, for a long time, my experience with Diane was exactly the same as my experience with Our Blessed Mother, Mary.

“This Is My Mother”
From the time I made my first communion and learned to pray the rosary back in the spring of 1977, I viewed Mary the Mother of God with admiration - from a distance. The truth is, like Diane, I knew a lot about Mary.

She was chosen by God to bear His Son.
She accepted her calling with grace and dignity.
She raised Jesus into manhood.
She was assumed body and soul into heaven.
She gave us the gift of the rosary.

And like I admired Diane, I admired what I saw in Mary. However, I didn’t feel particularly close to Mary. But all that changed in the spring of 2003.

I was helping my friend, Mark Ferrel, during a ministry trip in Hartford, Connecticut. I video taped the meetings and services and helped out when I could. One evening, we conducted a retreat at a local retreat center.

As usual, we were late. I began to set up the equipment while Mark and the others stacked all the cases on a table in the back. During the retreat, for some reason, I began to think about Mary and how I didn’t really “know” her. So right there, in the middle of the retreat, I silently began to pray.

“Lord, I don’t know your mother. Please, let me know your mother. Please.”

As I prayed, I began to cry. I realized I deeply wanted to know our mother, but, for whatever reasons, felt I didn’t. As I cried and prayed in the back of the room, I began to see a vision in my heart. I saw Jesus come to me and gently grab my arm, while He beckoned me with His other hand. He led me to a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a simple dress, covered with a white mantle.

“Daniel, I’d like you to meet my mother.”

He gently placed my hand in hers.

“She’s your mother too.”

As I heard our Lord speak these words to me, I smiled and began to weep. I looked into her face and could see her love. I knew she loved me.

Eventually, this vision and the meeting ended. I began to clean up, putting the camera equipment in their cases. With everything packed, I grabbed a couple of the cases off the table. I almost fell to my knees.

There, under the case, was a picture of Mary!

The same Mary our Lord had introduced me to! Her picture was there, under the glass tabletop! I marveled because I had never seen the picture before. In fact, all the cases were on the table before I came into the room. There was no way for me to see the picture until I moved the case. I asked our host about the picture.

“That is a picture from Medjugorje. A priest took a picture during one of Mary’s visitations and when he developed it, this image of Mary is what appeared.”

Jesus introduced me to our mother, then provided me with her picture.

I still have that picture. Right here in my heart.

A rosary for the whole family

For several years, my wife and I have been striving to regularly pray the rosary together as a family. We have a special set of rosaries and a candle on top of the fridge, and have gathered a wide variety of books, CDs, Mp3s and other resources to help us make our meditation of the mysteries come alive.

We want to learn to reflect on the mysteries of the life and ministry of Jesus through the rosary, not just recite our Hail Marys and Our Fathers as quickly as possible. One advent, we even managed to pray the rosary daily for a month. But our family prayer time together is usually infrequent. It always seems that there is some other commitment of the day or we are too tired from our busy life of working and raising our daughter.

The other day, our 9 year old daughter took out a huge box full of Archie comics that a friend had given her some time ago. She became so engrossed in the stories that she wouldn’t stop, even for meals. She asked me, “Daddy have you ever been so interested in a book that you could not stop? These Archie comics are great!” I know that feeling very well, and her question took me back to my childhood and many happy afternoons spent falling into the adventures of Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and all of the Riverdale Gang.

I have come to realize that it is my role as the father of the household to find the time and to invite my family to join me in prayer. Tonight after dinner, I felt a gentle prompting to lead our family in the Rosary. I got out the rosaries, lit a candle. put on some gentle instrumental music and invited my wife, daughter, and our dinner guest to join me in the rosary. Knowing my daughter’s new found enthusiasm for comics, I shared the Joyful Mysteries from Gene Wang’s excellent Rosary Comic Book. In this comic book, each frame advances part of the story of the mystery and represents one prayer.

My daughter and I took turns reading the dialogue in the comic panels and leading the prayers. As we prayed through the Joyful Mysteries, we stopped and discussed what we felt about what Mary and Joseph were feeling in the pictures, and what each of us felt about the story of Jesus’ birth and childhood unfolding as we prayed together. Each of us were deeply drawn into a very visual meditation of the rosary– from my 9 year old daughter to our 67 year old friend.

When we reached the Nativity, I asked my daughter if she knew what a manger was. She rolled her eyes and said, “Of course I know Daddy. It’s a feed box.” Then she said, “Of course Jesus is in a manger because he is food for our soul”. All 3 adults’ eyes widened. For the first time in my life I saw the baby Jesus in the manger as an early sign pointing toward the gift of His body and blood in the Eucharist.

The Rosary Comic Book turned out to be an excellent means to leading our family through a vivid, visual meditation of the mysteries of the rosary. Gene Wang originally wrote and illustrated this Rosary Comic Book as a personal Lenten devotion, to be used as an introduction to the rosary or an aid to prayer. Its bright colors and simple but evocative drawings bring out the humanity and wonder of the mysteries.  Tonight, this book gave our family a gentle, quiet time of prayer and discussion.

Links:
The Rosary Comic on Gene Wang’s website

Celebrating Mother Mary’s coming to us

Why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Lk 1:43)

As a Bandra-ite, (the prominent suburb of Mumbai where the feast of Our Lady is celebrated every year with a “Bandra Fair”) and more importantly as a Christian, the month of September has always been special for me. And therefore the wonderful words of Elizabeth welcoming Mary, resonate with me, and I’m sure, find an echo in many a heart.

It is indeed a moment of great joy and blessing when Mary comes to us, as saints and Fathers of the Church have long contemplated. And the reason is so simple and yet so profound – she brings with her the presence of God. As Luke tells us, “when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting… Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:41). And the effects of an encounter with the Holy Spirit on Elizabeth are undeniable,
- the babe in her womb leapt for joy (fruit of the Spirit is joy – Gal 5:22)
- she called Mary “the mother of my Lord” (“No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12:3)
- her mouth was filled with praise saying “Blessed are you, blessed is the fruit of your womb”. (Lk 1:42). Praise bubbles forth when filled with the Holy Spirit.

Do we have the same effect on people when they meet us? Do they experience the presence of God? Do they catch the Holy Spirit when they meet us? We need to be an infectious / contagious people – giving Jesus to all whom we meet. The H1N1 / Swine Flu epidemic has shown us how infections spread. Can we remove the lids over our mouth and stretch forth our hands so that those around us can catch Christ?

This September, as we prepare for and celebrate ‘Mary coming to us’ during the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, let us pray especially for this grace. To bring Jesus to others. To be bearers of the Good News…Arcs of the Covenant. Let’s us pray that we model ourselves on Mary in “her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 967)

We also pray for the many pilgrims that come to the various Marian shrines, that Mary will lead them to Jesus. In a special way we lift up the Proclamation Outreach at Mount Mary’s Basilica, Bandra, from 13th to 20th September. That the Holy Spirit who is the chief agent of evangelization (Pope Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi) will lead many to Jesus. That all who come to the Mount seeking answers to their sorrows and sufferings, may receive the Good News and experience freedom in Christ Jesus. That the Lord of the harvest (Mt 9:38) will send many volunteers to the Proclamation Outreach equipping them with the love and wisdom required to sow the seeds of the Gospel and protecting them and their families.

We also intercede this month for our teachers – that they may be aware of and appreciate the God-given vocation of developing the ‘whole person’ of the child under their care. We continue to pray for our children (especially the girl child) and our youth, that the Holy Spirit guides them in their choices.

In this Year for Priests we pray that they may receive the grace “for interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world”. May Mary, our Benefactress and Mediatrix, “by her manifold intercession continue to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (CCC 969), in the Precious Name of Jesus.

September 2009

Daily Intercessions through the Word of God – September 2009
Sanctuary Intercessors – India Branch of FBB
International Catholic Charismatic Missionary Intercessors of the Fellowship of the Burning Bush (FBB)
The ‘Intercession Diary’ has the approval and blessings of the Bishops’ Team of the Archdiocese and contains intentions of our Cardinal and the Bishops
(Join us in agreement to intercede each day according to the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit how to pray to actualize God’s promises in each situation)

Day/Date Interceding According to the Mind of Christ

Tue
1/9/2009 Ex 35: 30-34 See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel … And he has inspired him to teach
This month, as we celebrate Teachers Day, we lift up teachers – those in our schools, colleges and Sunday Schools, that they may be open to the dual wonder of their vocation, that is God-given and their crucial role in developing the ‘whole person’ of the child in their care

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