Point II.—The Land of Egypt
Mary now finds herself in a heathen land, and her interest in the Gentiles must have greatly increased. But her heart is also enlarged in another direction—namely,towards the Jews of the Dispersion. Legend tells us that it was at Heliopolis, one of the cities where the Egyptian Jews lived and where they had built a Temple, that the Holy Family took up their abode while they stayed in Egypt. What a blessing and a joy to those faithful souls to have the Holy Family living amongst them! How it must have stirred up their zeal and courage! It may have been Mary's influence on many a mother's heart, and the influence ofJesuson many a little playmate, which produced in after years some of the great preachers to the Gentiles who came from amongst the Jews of the Dispersion.
It was not for nothing that Mary and her Son were sent into Egypt.Godhas His reasons, though He does not often reveal them, because He loves to have our confidence.
Now, for a time—perhapsonly for a few months, for Herod died soon after the slaughter of the Innocents—Egypt was the centre of the world; nobody guessed it, but the Angels were there worshipping, adoring, wondering. It is a true picture of the Blessed Sacrament, hidden away in so many Tabernacles, surrounded by people who do not suspect Its presence. It is nothing to thousands who pass by. But what is It to those who know? What wasJesusto Mary in the land of her exile? He was her all—with Himexile was no exile;with HimGod'sWill was easy,God'sarrangements the best;with Himit was impossible to complain, impossible to have any regrets about the past, or impatient wonderings about the future. She was absorbed in the present, because she hadJesuswith her. He had to be taken care of, fed, taught, thought about, worked for, lived for. What a lesson for those who are inclined to look upon their surroundings asEgypt, who say too readily: "How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?" (Ps. cxxxvi. 4.) How can I do this or thathere?
It was in Egypt that the Child grew, and it was there that Mary heard His first words, watched His first tottering steps, and taught Him His first (vocal) prayers. And while her Child grew in wisdom and age, Mary was growing too—growing in grace and virtue; imbibing more and more of the spirit of her Son from the services she rendered to Him; making great progress in her new school, the school of the Cross; getting daily more food for meditation and prayer; enlarging her heart and preparing herself to be a second Eve—the Mother of all living.
Itispossible, then, to grow in Egypt! And not only is itpossible, but ifGodsends me there, it is the soil most suitable for my growth at that particular epoch of my life. How many ofGod'schildren have had to live in uncongenial surroundings, and with those who have no sympathy with their faith, from the earliest confessors and martyrs to the present-day converts to the Faith! IfJesushad spent all His lifetime in the Holy Land, such might have been tempted to say: "He is my Model, but He was never in my circumstances!" But no,Jesusspent some time with His Mother in Egypt, and Hegrewthere.
Let me learn the lesson thatGodis with me wherever I am and in whatever circumstances; and let me try to copy Mary in being so absorbed by Him, and by all that I have to do for Him, in the person of His "least brethren," that my surroundings matter little.
Point III.—The Return from Egypt
"Be thou there until I shall tell thee," was the only order given to Joseph—there was no hint of how long the time would be; and so Mary said herFiateach day, ready either to stay in Egypt or to go back to her own land—both were the same to her as long as they were the expression ofGod'sWill. At last the Angel cameagain with a message: "Arise and take the Child and His Mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead that sought the life of the Child." Their own dear land, then, was no longer dangerous to them.Godgave His reasons this time—but when He does not, what then? Then my faith must be strong enough to believe that the fair land, which looks as if it would be so congenial, holds dangers for me which Egypt does not; there are enemies there who seek after my soul to destroy it, and whom I can only escape by the hard discipline of Egypt. Then I will be thankful for Egypt as long as it lasts, and thankful, too, that my life—every detail of it—is arranged for me by one whoknows.
And so the faces of Mary andJesuswere set towards the land of Israel—and to them both it meant Calvary. Mary would doubtless have preferred to take her Son back to Bethlehem, and bring Him up near the Temple, but again the warning voice told them that it was notGod'swill. And so they "retired into the quarters of Galilee," and Mary found herself back again in Nazareth—the city of so many memories; and two more of the prophecies concerning her Son have been fulfilled: "Out of Egypt have I called my Son," and, "He shall be called a Nazarene."
Colloquy.O Mary, get thy child grace to learn some of the precious lessons that Egypt has to teach—that blind obedience and submission which bring perfect rest; that waiting forGod'sorders without any complaining, or impatience, or suggestions of something else; that quiet uniting of all sufferings with those ofJesus; that entire acquiescence in all His plans for me.Resolution.To put no obstacle in the way ofGod'sdirection of me to-day.Spiritual Bouquet."Fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee."
Colloquy.O Mary, get thy child grace to learn some of the precious lessons that Egypt has to teach—that blind obedience and submission which bring perfect rest; that waiting forGod'sorders without any complaining, or impatience, or suggestions of something else; that quiet uniting of all sufferings with those ofJesus; that entire acquiescence in all His plans for me.
Resolution.To put no obstacle in the way ofGod'sdirection of me to-day.
Spiritual Bouquet."Fly into Egypt, and be there until I shall tell thee."
"And His Mother said to Him: Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." (St Luke ii. 48.)1st Prelude.A picture of Mary and Joseph findingJesusin the Temple.2nd Prelude.Grace to seekJesusas Our Lady sought Him.
"And His Mother said to Him: Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." (St Luke ii. 48.)
1st Prelude.A picture of Mary and Joseph findingJesusin the Temple.
2nd Prelude.Grace to seekJesusas Our Lady sought Him.
Point I.—The Loss of Her Son
Once more the Holy Family has come up to the Temple; and it is here that Mary speaks her next recorded word. Her Son was not yet born when she spoke her last. Since then He has been her constant companion through infancy and boyhood, in trouble and in joy, at Bethlehem, in Egypt, and at Nazareth. He is twelve years old now, and counts under the law as a man; it is time to decide His calling in life. He is old enough to go with His parents to the Passover Feast at Jerusalem. So once again the real Passover Lamb goes up to His Temple; and we can think of Mary and Joseph praying there to the Child Who is kneeling between them, Mary pondering over her last visit to the Temple with Him, when she presented Him to the Lord as a little baby and when the sword pierced her soul for the first time.
When it was all over, the ChildJesus"remained in Jerusalem," without saying anything to His parents! It was only when they halted for the night that Mary and Joseph would find out their loss, for the men and women left the Temple by different gates, and the children might go with either group. Mary had lost her Child! It was the third of theSeven Dolours, and it has been revealed to the Saints that her spiritual desolation was greater than that ever experienced by any ofGod'schildren. Not only was she suffering intense desolation, but her grief was enhanced by the fear that He had left her because she had done something of which He did not approve. She also had tobear the sight of her dearly loved spouse "sorrowing," perhaps blaming himself for his want of care, and in any case not so well able as she to bear the anxiety and grief. Mary shows us how to act in our times of desolation. Diligently she searched for Him during those three days, "in the company among their kinsfolks and acquaintance," and in all the places where He had been. Then they retraced their steps to Jerusalem. No time was lost, no pains were spared; they sought Him sorrowing for His loss, and for any fault that might be theirs. HowJesusloves to be sought thus! It is one of His reasons for hiding Himself, to force us back to the company where we enjoyed His presence, to the places where we had Him with us, and to everything that reminds us of what He said to us and what we said to Him. He is not far from the souls that thus seek Him.
Point II.—They Found Him in the Temple
It was the most natural place to find Him. Do I in my times of desolation turn instinctively to His House, where I know that He is hidden? Do I feel that I must spend all the time I possibly can close to the Tabernacle, that my body, at any rate, may be near to Him, while my spirit is calling out in its distress: "Oh, that I knew where I might find Him!"
Who can measure what must have been Mary's joy and relief when she saw her Son sitting in the midst of the doctors, listening to their teaching! She "wondered"; she was perplexed; and then it was that she uttered her fifth word. It was a word of reproach rather than of joy, though it was joy that caused it, and the reproach was full of tenderness. St Bernardine calls this word,flamma amoris saporantis, "a flame of savouring or relishing love," because, he says, it belongs to love to "distinguish and discern, and, as it were, taste the divine effects and qualities of that which is loved." It was her love which made Marysavourthe intense pain caused by the absence of her Son and by the anxiety of her spouse. The flame of love within her enabled her torelishboth the love and the pain. Mary does not try to conceal her pain—that is not the outcome of true love. She says straight out what she is feeling, with that holy familiarity to which her love gives her a right: "Son, why hast Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." Why? None knew better than He what the agony of those three days had been to His Mother, and He could have prevented it. Why, then, has He done so? Because He was beginning the principle which He carried out all through. He was the "Man of Sorrows," and she was the "Mother of Sorrows," and He would not spare her one drop in the cup of suffering. He knew its value too well, and His love for her was too great.
When we have to undergo suffering that seems so unnecessary and that could (perhaps we think) with a little forethought have been so easily avoided, instead of allowing ourselves to give way to discontent, and regrets, and even rebellion, how much better it would be to say: Yes, it is quite true,Jesuscould have prevented this, but He is treating me in some degree as He treated His Blessed Mother, not saving me the pain and trouble and inconvenience, but letting me have the opportunity of sanctifying my soul and of gaining greater merit. "Why hast Thou done so?" And He answers: "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" By His answer He prepares His Mother for the future; He raises her above the human in Him to the Divine; He announces Himself, though obscurely, to the Doctors as the Messias; He teaches the great lesson of detachment, and shows that even our best natural affections must be supernaturalised. "My Father's business"—that must ever come first. "For this came I into the world," (St John xviii. 37), and Imustbe about it, even if by so doing I give pain to those dearest to me.
They were her Son's first recorded words, and Mary "understood" them not; they were words full of mystery and full of meaning; her mingled feelings of pain and relief, of sorrow and joy, would prevent her from seeing the gist of their meaning at once; but as time went on, and her spiritual horizon increased, she would understand more and more what His "Father's business" was, though perhaps not till she stood at the Foot of the Cross did she understand the words in all their fulness.
"Why hast Thou done so?" It is a question Mary often puts to her other children—sometimes in surprise and amazement, sometimes in anxiety and sorrow, sometimes in love and tenderness. Well for us if we can always answer, like our Elder Brother: The "Father's business." This is an answer which will always satisfy the flame of love within her which prompts the question.
Colloquywith Mary, asking for grace that I may be so taken up with my "Father's business" that I cause her no anxiety.Resolution.To put my "Father's business" first, to-day.Spiritual Bouquet."Why hast Thou done so to us?"
Colloquywith Mary, asking for grace that I may be so taken up with my "Father's business" that I cause her no anxiety.
Resolution.To put my "Father's business" first, to-day.
Spiritual Bouquet."Why hast Thou done so to us?"
"And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And His Mother kept all these words in her heart. AndJesusadvanced in wisdom and age, and grace withGodand men." (St Luke ii. 52.)1st Prelude.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph going back to Nazareth.2nd Prelude.Grace to go there too, and to study its lessons.
"And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them. And His Mother kept all these words in her heart. AndJesusadvanced in wisdom and age, and grace withGodand men." (St Luke ii. 52.)
1st Prelude.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph going back to Nazareth.
2nd Prelude.Grace to go there too, and to study its lessons.
Point I.—Mary withJESUSand Joseph
The lesson has been given now;Jesushas shown His parents that He is the Son ofGodbefore He is the Sonof Mary; thatGod'swill, andGod'sbusiness, andGod'swork, are the reasons for His being on earth. Now, because He is perfect man, He will live for eighteen years in subjection to His parents, to show us that subjection is one ofGod'slaws; that the Father's business can only be done by a perfect submission to His will and to His orders, expressed and given by those under whom His providence places us. All the direction needed for the spiritual life is contained in these two sentences: "I must be about My Father's business," and "He was subject to them." The Father's business is to be done in His way—not in mine; it will only be done by a perfect submission of my will to His, by subjection all along the line, by the crushing of self.
His Mother kept all these words in her heart. As she went home she was pondering and meditating again. She had no need to make a "Composition of Place," as she had to do a few hours ago, for her Boy was at her side once again; it was upon His words that she was meditating. They had made her realise that He was a man now, that He would have "business" to do that she must no longer expect wholly to understand. No doubt she prepared herself in her meditation to be ready from henceforth to find that His sweet, childish, obedience was over. Just as we, in our meditations, make the sacrifice beforehand about something that we dread, and then when we come up to it during the day, it is not there! ButGodis pleased, nevertheless, that we made our sacrifice. One of the many uses of meditation is that we may be fore-armed for the day's battles. So it was with Mary. When she got back to Nazareth, it is true that there was a change; it is true that the boyhood of her Son was fast passing into manhood; but His subjection was the same—only it was far more touching to His Mother's heart just because He was no longer a child.
And what was Mary's part? IfJesuswas "subject,"Mary had to command; ifJesusobeyed, it was because Mary gave her orders—and this till He was thirty years old! What an absolute repression of self and of her own ideas there must have been in Mary before she could bring herself to give an order to Him Whom she was worshipping as herGod! With what reverence, and honour, and humility, and searchings of heart, and preparation, and care she would give her orders! Only the knowledge that it was His wish that she should stand inGod'splace to Him, could have given her courage. Her authority over Him wasGod'sauthority, and it was only by constantly referring it toGodthat she dared to maintain it.
What a lesson Mary gives here to parents and superiors and to all whose duty it is to command others! Whether they have to command the unruly and the unsubmissive, or those whom they know to be in every way superior to themselves, a few thoughts suggested by the contemplation of Mary commanding her Son at Nazareth may help to make easier a position which must often be irksome and difficult:—
1.Godhas put me into this position because He intends me to be His delegate.2. My orders are all given in His Name, and all my authority refers back to Him.3. My only sure weapons are—humility, that is, a real belief in my own weakness; andself-effacement, to the extent of letting those who are under me see, not me, butGod, in my orders.4. I must seeJesusin all whom I command. If they are thankless and unruly, they are nevertheless amongst His "least brethren," and He wants them trained to live with their Elder Brother in His Father's house. If they are already so like Him in their docility and humility that the very sight of them makes me adoreGodin them,I will remember that Mary gave her orders toJesusbecauseGodwished it; and that thought will give me courage to be His faithful representative and to give those under my care every possible opportunity of advancing in wisdom and grace by the submission of their will.5. I must be firmly persuaded thatGodnever puts anyone into a position without giving the grace to fill it. Mary needed far more grace to commandJesusthan ever I shall need!
1.Godhas put me into this position because He intends me to be His delegate.
2. My orders are all given in His Name, and all my authority refers back to Him.
3. My only sure weapons are—humility, that is, a real belief in my own weakness; andself-effacement, to the extent of letting those who are under me see, not me, butGod, in my orders.
4. I must seeJesusin all whom I command. If they are thankless and unruly, they are nevertheless amongst His "least brethren," and He wants them trained to live with their Elder Brother in His Father's house. If they are already so like Him in their docility and humility that the very sight of them makes me adoreGodin them,I will remember that Mary gave her orders toJesusbecauseGodwished it; and that thought will give me courage to be His faithful representative and to give those under my care every possible opportunity of advancing in wisdom and grace by the submission of their will.
5. I must be firmly persuaded thatGodnever puts anyone into a position without giving the grace to fill it. Mary needed far more grace to commandJesusthan ever I shall need!
Point II.—Mary a Widow
Neither sacred nor profane history gives the exact date of that sad day in Mary's life when death deprived her of her beloved spouse. Joseph had shared all Mary's sacred joys and sorrows from her school-days. He it was who had trained her Son in His work as a carpenter; and to him alone could she speak freely of Him. What a wonderfully happy and blessed death must have been St Joseph's—the last people he saw,Jesusand Mary; his last messages given toJesusand Mary; all he had to leave, left toJesusand Mary; the last words he heard, those ofJesusand Mary! He is thePatron of a good death: that is, he will help those who invoke him, to die withJesusand Mary.
And now from henceforth Mary will have no one to talk to about her Son, no one to share her joy in all these new lessons which she is ever learning from Him. But, on the other hand, from henceforth her Son will be herall. He, who later raised the dead man because "he was the only son of his mother and she was a widow," knew how to wipe away the tears from His Mother's eyes. He knew how to be to her more than a husband. From henceforth the Son and the Mother were all in all to each other—He her sole support, and she keeping the littlehome for Him alone. They were alone for their meals, and alone in the evenings when the day's work was done. It may have been during those blessed evenings thatJesusexplained to Mary what His "Father's business" was, so that she might understand all about it; that He unfolded to her the wonderful plan of Redemption; that He told her about His public life, about the Church that He was going to found, and which she was to nurse during its infancy. Perhaps He told her, too, of the extension of the Incarnation—His great secret, the Blessed Sacrament. Who had a greater right to know it than Mary, through whose means the Incarnation took place? And as the time of the Hidden Life drew to a close, He would explain to her that His "Father's business" was calling Him away from Nazareth, that He would have to give up His home and His life with her, but that they would still work together for the Redemption of the world, their interests would still be one. Oh, blessed converse! The secrets ofJesusand Mary! More than ever was her heart being enlarged; more than ever would she have need to ponder these things in her heart. With the undivided attention of such a Master, what progress she must have made in virtue and in grace!
Point III.—Mary Alone
But the day came at last when her Son was to leave their little home. Mary knew that it would come; again she had made her sacrifice beforehand, and she was ready. She was saying herFiatwhile Simeon's ever-active sword was piercing her heart. There was the last meal, the last kiss, the last blessing—and He was gone. She watched Him till He was out of sight and then turned to her empty house. It would never be the same again. Never again would she have Him all to herself. But Mary was a "valiant woman," and no grief of hers would spoil herSon's work. Three thoughts supported her in her trial; and the same three will support us in our trials too.
1. Thisseparation wasGod'swill—and that was always dearer to Mary thananythingelse.2. The very sacrifice of her Son that she was called upon to make, was a proof of her union with Him and with His interests.3. The knowledge that the separation was no real separation.
1. Thisseparation wasGod'swill—and that was always dearer to Mary thananythingelse.
2. The very sacrifice of her Son that she was called upon to make, was a proof of her union with Him and with His interests.
3. The knowledge that the separation was no real separation.
It is true that never again will He come in from His work and share the simple meal with her; true that there will be no more talking over their plans together; but such a perfect union as theirs cannot be broken by separation. Does not everything in the house speak of Him? Mary has had her time ofconsolation; now she is to have her time ofdesolation. Let me learn from her how to act under these changed conditions, which are sure to be mine at some time or other in my life. How does Mary act? Does she sit still and mourn over the days that are gone? Not at all. She acts as though they werenotgone; as though there were no difference between consolation and desolation; thereisno difference really, but faith and love must be very strong before this fact can be grasped. Mary does her work as usual with her Son and for her Son. Her heart is with Him all the time; everything reminds her of Him, and she is thinking of Him, talking to Him, telling Him everything just as she did before. How far am I like her?
"Sedes sapientiæ, ora pro nobis."
Colloquywith Mary, asking her to get me grace to ponder over these wonderful mysteries.Resolution.Never to allow myself to make any change in my spiritual life during a time of desolation.Spiritual Bouquet."He was subject to them."
Colloquywith Mary, asking her to get me grace to ponder over these wonderful mysteries.
Resolution.Never to allow myself to make any change in my spiritual life during a time of desolation.
Spiritual Bouquet."He was subject to them."
"The Mother ofJesussaith to Him: They have no wine." (St John ii. 3.)1st Prelude.The Marriage Feast.2nd Prelude.Grace to remember the interest that Mary takes in her children.
"The Mother ofJesussaith to Him: They have no wine." (St John ii. 3.)
1st Prelude.The Marriage Feast.
2nd Prelude.Grace to remember the interest that Mary takes in her children.
Point I.—"They have no wine"
It looks, from the context, as though Our Blessed Lady were staying in the house at Cana where the wedding feast took place, for while St John tells us thatJesusand His disciples wereinvited, he says that "the Mother ofJesuswasthere." We need not suppose that she remained long at Nazareth after her Son began His public ministry—it is more probable that she stayed with friends in the neighbourhood of His work. After this first miracle of her Son's, she went with Him and His disciples to Capharnaum, but "remained there not many days," St John tells us. (chap. ii. 12.) At all events, she was at Cana at the time of the marriage feast, and it may be that it was in St John's house that she was staying; for there is a very old tradition which tells that the bridegroom was none other than John himself. If the tradition be true, it lends an additional significance to this sixth word of Our Lady; for, as St Bernardine suggests, it would probably be the miracle produced by this word which made him decide to give up the wedded state, even before he had entered upon it, for one of perpetual virginity—a decision which endeared him to the hearts of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.
Eighteen years had passed since Mary's last recorded word. It was spoken to Our Lord Himself, as also was this one. St Bernardine calls the sixth word "a word of compassionating love" (flamma amoris compatientis). We shall see why as we continue our meditation.
It is not difficult to picture that little family feast in whichJesusand Mary took part. Their presence produced, as it ever must, joy, peace, and harmony. But now, apparently, there was going to be a hitch in the proceedings; Mary's watchful eyes noticed that the wine was running short; she wanted to save the newly married pair from any confusion and humiliation that would spoil their mirth on this glad day, and she showed hercompassionatinglove by anticipating their need.
Mary is the same now; she is full of compassionating love, pity, and thought for her children; she anticipates their needs and will save them, if possible, from the dangers which threaten them, by tellingJesus. What a comfort it should be to me to remember that I have a Mother in Heaven who is looking out for the difficulties and dangers which threaten me, and doing her best to avert them! How far am I like my Mother in this? Do I, by my tact and forethought and observation, try to smooth away difficulties and avert little unpleasantnesses that I see lying in the path of another? To what extent is thisflamma amoris compatientisburning in me? Do others feel that if I am there, not only will there be more joy and mirth, but also more harmony and good feeling—in short, that things are sure to run smoothly, because one of Mary's children—"a child of Mary"—is there. The Mother ofJesuswas there.
Point II.—The Answer ofJESUS
Jesus, too, had noticed that the wine was running short, and He knew that He was going to work a wonderful miracle of transubstantiation, foreshadowing the miracle worked at every Mass. He knew also that He would not work the miracle till His Mother had intervened. At Nazareth He made her a participator in all His work. Though separated from Him, she was stillto have her share; and her share wasprayer—the great work of intercession. By this means, doubtless, she had had her share in her Son's Baptism, in the Fasting and Temptation in the wilderness, in the calling of the first six Apostles. Now, in this first miracle, He will give a lesson to these Apostles and show them the position His Mother is to occupy in His Church. She understands that He addresses her as "Woman" rather than as Mother, to show them that He, and they too, must be detached from all natural affections and ties. He has His Father's business to do, and they have been chosen to help Him in it, and she is acting in herofficialposition as Intercessor. My hour for working this miracle is not yet come, but now that you have spoken it soon will come, seems to be the meaning of His answer. It was by this miracle thatJesusmanifested forth His glory, "so that His disciples believed on Him."
And one of Mary's reasons for saying: "They have no wine," and thus asking for the miracle, may have been that she knew it would confirm the faith of the new Apostles in her Son.
What a loving, compassionating Mother she already is! How her heart is enlarging to take in all that concerns her Son—His work, His interests, His miracles, His Apostles! She notices the needs, and just hints them toJesus; there is no need to explain and go into details; they understand each other—it is heart-to-heart work. If the flame of compassionating love is burning in her heart, it is because it has been lighted at the fire of the Sacred Heart.
In after years, especially during the Passion and after the Ascension, when the Apostles must so often have turned to Our Lady for consolation, help, and direction, how they would look back to the time of the feast in Cana of Galilee, when they heard her say her firstofficialword: "They have no wine"! And how the remembranceof it would strengthen their faith, not only in Him, in Whom from that moment they "believed," but also in her whom He had then so clearly pointed out as His co-worker, and as the one from whom they might expect help in their needs.
If Mary did so much for her children when she was on earth, without even being asked; and if she supplied needs, of which they were scarcely conscious, what will she not do now, when, as the great Intercessor at her Son's right hand in Heaven, she hears the entreaties of her children on earth? She still co-operates withJesus; her work is still to find out the needs of her children and to tell Him of them. When I am in need, perplexity, or trouble, what a consolation and strength it would be to remember that this very need of mine is a subject of conversation betweenJesusand Mary; and that, when His hour is come, her pleadings for me will be heard, and the need will be supplied!
Colloquywith the Mother of Compassion. "Mater misericordiæ, ora pro nobis."Resolution.To try to-day to prevent little unpleasantnesses happening to others.Spiritual Bouquet."The Mother ofJesuswas there."
Colloquywith the Mother of Compassion. "Mater misericordiæ, ora pro nobis."
Resolution.To try to-day to prevent little unpleasantnesses happening to others.
Spiritual Bouquet."The Mother ofJesuswas there."
His Mother saith to the waiters: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye."(St John ii. 5.)1st Prelude.The Marriage Feast. Mary speaking to the waiters.2nd Prelude.Grace to obey.
His Mother saith to the waiters: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye."(St John ii. 5.)
1st Prelude.The Marriage Feast. Mary speaking to the waiters.
2nd Prelude.Grace to obey.
Point I.—Love's Consummation—Obedience
The perfect understanding that existed between Mary and her Son made her quite sure from His answer that all would be well, that a miracle would be worked, andthe need supplied; and so she prepared the way for it by speaking her seventh recorded word. It is to the waiters that she speaks—to those whose work it is to minister to the needs ofJesusand His brethren. "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye." St Bernardine calls this word "a flame of consummating love," (flamma amoris consummantis), because Mary shows by it that her love for her Son and for all her other children is so great, that she desires that all should obey Him, and accomplish His commandments perfectly. She is not content with loving and serving Him herself, the flame of love that makes her own obedience so perfect, burns that others too may consummate their love by their obedience: "Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye." If you want my Son to show you some special favour, be very careful about your obedience.
Mary's word is forallher children, but it is intended principally for the waiters, to whom it was primarily addressed. It is those who have, in any way, to minister toJesusunder the guise of His "least brethren," who have to remember so specially that they are to do only whatHesays—that they are only His agents waiting for His orders. How much better His servants would do their work if they carried out His Mother's direction, and did all that He says and only what He says! His "least brethren," who are sick, would never feel neglected, would never hear that impatient word which makes them long to get up, and wait on themselves, instead of being left to the tender mercies of the servants ofJesusand Mary! His "least brethren" who are tiresome and difficult to get on with—perhaps only because they are lonely and in need of sympathy—would be quite sure of never getting an unkind, cutting, or thoughtless word from those who are waiting onJesusand Mary; it is whatHesaith that they will say and do—nothing else.
And amongst the waiters themselves there would beno jealousies, and heart-burnings, and envyings, and criticisms; no thinking that others are preferred to them, that they are left out and taken no notice of, that their services are not wanted. The waiters would remember that they are waiting uponHisBrethren, and that they have no right to do or say or plan anything that He does not tell them; and if He tells them nothing for the moment, and they have to stand by, and see others do His work, they are nevertheless His servants, waiting for His next orders.
"Whatsoever He shall say, do." Obedience, then, is love's consummation. Mary's love—strong flame though it is—cannot get beyond obedience; there is nothing higher; it is the proof, the crown, the consummation of love. When, for the moment, her request seems unheeded—even rejected—her consolation is: "Whatsoever He shall say" will be right; whatever it is, it will be the answer for me. "Ecce ancilla Domini." Behold the servant waiting.
Point II.—Result—Water Changed to Wine
The waiters have not long to wait for their orders. When His Mother has prepared us and we are standing waiting ready to do "whatsoever" He shall say, the order is quite clear. We know exactly what He means, and what it is that He wants done; and though the order may seem unreasonable, and we run the risk of humiliating ourselves before others, yet we shall do it, for His Mother said: "Whatsoever." And by doing it we shall prove that our love, like hers, is a consummating love—a love that finds its consummation in obedience. This kind of love is like a fairy's wand; it changes all that it touches, water is wine everywhere—that is, we get the best out of everything; not perhaps immediately, or at any rate we are not so quick todetectthe "good wine"as the steward of the feast was; the path of obedience is often, as it was for Mary, a path beset with difficulty and sorrow; but love has touched it, the result is the same, the waterischanged, and changed into "goodwine." It would not be good for us to drink of it to the full now.Godreserves the good wine till the end, and when we have well drunk of the cup of suffering and sorrow here, He will hand us the cup of joy that inebriates. Here we may only "tasteand see that the Lord is sweet"; (Ps. xxxiii. 9); but one day, when theflamma amoris consummantisis perfected in us, when we have done all that He saith to us, and paid our debts even to "the last farthing," (St Matt. v. 26), then we shall drink to the full of the joy of His countenance, (Ps. xv. 11), and He will say: "I have inebriated the weary soul, and I havefilledevery hungry soul." (Jer. xxxi. 25.)
Colloquywith Our Lady, asking that I may always hear her voice telling me to obey her Son.Resolution.To remember that obedience turns water into wine.Spiritual Bouquet."Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye."
Colloquywith Our Lady, asking that I may always hear her voice telling me to obey her Son.
Resolution.To remember that obedience turns water into wine.
Spiritual Bouquet."Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye."
"My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word ofGodand do it." (St Luke viii. 21.)1st Prelude.Our Lady standing waiting on the outskirts of the crowd.2nd Prelude.Grace to "hear the word ofGodand do it."
"My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word ofGodand do it." (St Luke viii. 21.)
1st Prelude.Our Lady standing waiting on the outskirts of the crowd.
2nd Prelude.Grace to "hear the word ofGodand do it."
Point I.—His Mother Standing Without
This one incident in which Mary is mentioned between the time of the Marriage at Cana and Holy Week, happened during the second year of her Son's ministry.We do not know whether or not she had been near Him during this time. According to the opinion of some, she was one of the little band of women who followed Him about, to minister to His needs and those of His Apostles. But whether she followed Him actually or not, we know that her spirit was ever with Him, and that she followed Him with her prayers, and interest, and sympathy,knowingHim more as He manifested Himself more by His healing and miracles, and thereforelovingHim andimitatingHim more, andtherefore, growing in grace, of which she was ever full. Such, we are quite sure, is a true picture of Mary, though this one instance at Capharnaum is the only occasion on which we are able to make an actual picture of her.
Her Son had probably come to Capharnaum for a rest after one of His missionary rounds; it may be that He had come to have a little time of refreshment with her. And she and His brethren—His relatives—went to meet Him, desiring to speak to Him. We are not told what it was that they were so anxious to tell Him. When they arrived He was already addressing a crowd which wassittingabout Him, and which was so great that His Mother and His brethren could not get near Him; and so "theystoodwithout"—on the outskirts—and thus attracted the notice of someone who attractedHisnotice; someone, in fact, who interrupted Him in the middle of His discourse, by telling Him that His Mother and His brethren wanted Him. Such is the simple incident, and by it Mary affords her Son the opportunity of giving two most important lessons to His Apostles, and also to those who would, during all time, have any kind of apostolic work to do.
Point II.—A Lesson on Interruptions
He is preaching, and He is interrupted. What does He do? Shows, as He had shown so clearly before, when Hewas only twelve years old, that His "Father's business" must come first—that He is perfectly indifferent to all natural ties when that is concerned, and that His followers have got to be the same. He is preaching to the people—that is His work, and not even for a desire of His Mother will He interrupt it. He preaches by example what He had already preached by word: "He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he that taketh not up his cross and followeth Me is not worthy of Me." (St Matt. x. 37.)
Incidentally, He shows us what we may do with our interruptions. We are so prone to let them worry us, to think that they spoil our work, to say: But for these endless interruptions, I could do so much more! What did our Lord do with His interruption, which was a very real one, and far more disturbing than are many of ours of which we complain so readily? He turned it into good use, so that His work was the gainer by it and not the loser. If we cannot always follow His example literally by making the interruption adirecthelp to our work, we can always make it helpindirectlyby taking it as a message fromGod, Who would give His Apostle an opportunity of practising patience, self-control, and self-repression. Our work will gain more by these divinely planned interruptions than by the smooth, easy, methods which we had planned for ourselves.
Point III.—A Lesson on Relationships
To the interrupter He said: "Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?" And, looking round on them who sat about Him, He saith: "Behold My mother and My brethren! For My mother and My brethren are they who hear the word ofGodand do it." It is the same lesson that He gave to the woman, who probably was one of the very crowd He was now addressing, and who could notrefrain from proclaiming before everyone theblessednessof His Mother. To her He said: "Yea, rather, blessed are they who hear the word ofGodand keep it." (St Luke xi. 27, 28.) The lesson, then, is that He holds as His nearest and dearest those who do His Father's Will. His Mother was, it is true, dearer to Him than all besides, was, it is true, blessed above all women; but only because she did His Father's Will more perfectly than any other.
Who is My mother? Any of these in the crowd have as much right to Me as she has, if they do My Father's Will as she does it. This is the lesson that Mary is giving Him the opportunity of teaching.
Would I be dear to Him as His Mother was; would I have that close union of heart; would I see things from His point of view; would I be willing to be put in the background and kept standing there if it furthers the "Father's business"; would I be ready to suffer anything for the spread of His Kingdom? There is only one way—do as she did. "Whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in Heaven, the same is My mother."
Colloquywith Mary standing in the background. Thou whose unique privilege it is to be the Mother ofGod, teach me to do His will in such a way that I may share in some degree thyspiritualmaternity. This was thine bydetachment—even from the visible presence ofJesus, by a perfectperformance of the will ofGod, and bysuffering. By thy ceaseless intercession help me to struggle ceaselessly till I know something of these three things.Resolution.To prove my close relationship withJesusand Mary to-day by the way I doGod'swill.Spiritual Bouquet."His Mother stood without."
Colloquywith Mary standing in the background. Thou whose unique privilege it is to be the Mother ofGod, teach me to do His will in such a way that I may share in some degree thyspiritualmaternity. This was thine bydetachment—even from the visible presence ofJesus, by a perfectperformance of the will ofGod, and bysuffering. By thy ceaseless intercession help me to struggle ceaselessly till I know something of these three things.
Resolution.To prove my close relationship withJesusand Mary to-day by the way I doGod'swill.
Spiritual Bouquet."His Mother stood without."
"And thy own soul a sword shall pierce." (St Luke ii. 35.)1st Prelude.(1) Mary meetingJesuswith His Cross.(2) Mary witnessing the Crucifixion of Her Son.2nd Prelude.Grace to understand what a precious gift suffering is.
"And thy own soul a sword shall pierce." (St Luke ii. 35.)
1st Prelude.(1) Mary meetingJesuswith His Cross.
(2) Mary witnessing the Crucifixion of Her Son.
2nd Prelude.Grace to understand what a precious gift suffering is.
Point I.—Mary's Suffering
Mary, with the knowledge which she had all her life of her Son's Passion, must have known when the hour was approaching. She had noticed the ever-increasing envy and hatred of the Chief Priests. She knew of the various attempts on His life, and of the organised plot to kill Him. And when the Passion itself began, we may be quite sure that, even if she were not actually a witness of some of the scenes, the Apostles kept her informed of what was going on. She would hear of the Agony in the Garden, of Judas' betrayal, of the desertion of the Apostles; then of the trials, of the scourging and crowning with thorns, of Pilate's vain attempts to save Him;sheknew that they would be vain. And when at length the death sentence was passed, she set out with the other ministering women to be as near to Him as she could while He carried His Cross to Calvary.Once, at any rate, on the Way of the Cross they caught sight of each other, and had that unspeakable consolation which no one could give toJesusbut Mary, and no one to Mary butJesus. But though it was a consolation, it was also an anguish so great, that this meeting ofJesuswith His Blessed Mother is counted as one of the seven swords that pierced her heart. It is theFourth Dolour. Then, on Calvary's hill, she must have heard, even if she did not see, the nails being driven in; and heard, too, something that gave her strength and courage at that terrible moment—her Son speaking to His Father, the crowning point of Whose "business" He had now reached: "Father, forgive them,for they know not what they do." Who can measure what the pain of thisFifth Dolourwas to Mary! What was it that gave her an almost superhuman courage? The firm belief that everything she saw and heard wasGod'swill; and such was the intensity with which she had said herFiat, that His will was nearer to her even than her own sufferings. In proportion as this is the case with us shall we get the good thatGodintends out of suffering, and join, as Mary did, our prayers with those ofJesusby askingGod'sforgiveness for all who cause us suffering.