01 May 2010
The Fifth Glorious Mystery
The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lord Jesus, You died for to restore our broken relationship with the Father. You rose from the dead for our salvation. You imparted Your Holy Spirit to guide us on our way. You ascended into Your glory to be our High Priest. All this for us poor sinners. You shed the cross and exchanged Your crown of thorns for a crown of glory. Yet You did not stop there - though that would be more than we could ever dream of in this life. You go so far to share Your very crown with us. How wonderous a God you are! And our Mother, Your Mother, is the first to share in this amazing gift. By crowning her you show us that You are faithful to Your promises. Allow me, O Lord, to share in this promise of future glory. Allow me to one day receive my crown, which You have fashioned by Your blood, along with Mary. Allow me to lay my crown at Your feet and praise You with all the Blessed. Let Your grace fill my heart so that it burns with Your love.
30 April 2010
The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery
The Crucifixion of Jesus
O majestic throne of Christ upon which He hung! What is the Cross but the sum total of all the sins of every human person who has ever lived, lives, and ever will live condensed unto two beams of wood. It is an instrument of torture and torment just as our sins rend the soul and rip the flesh. It is the sign of the cruelty that reigns in each of our hearts. It is as heavy as a mountain but as light as the flight of gossiping words. And God was nailed to this thing - this reprobated wood! His blood drained out upon its rough frame painting its ill intentions with love divine. Pilot and the Jews believed that they had nailed this Jesus to the Cross. Yet, they knew not the sublime truth. The truth was that the cross was nailed to our Lord. It was not our Lord who writhed upon the cross but the cross who writhed upon His sacred frame. The death of God was unto life and that life was unto the death of the cross! O sin, O cruelty, O wretched soul of demonic intentions, you have been nailed, pierced, thrust through and cast aside by the God who is sovereign over all. O death, if you knew your fate would you have fled? O cross of Christ would you not have rejected the nails if you knew your hour had come? Yet, too late is the hour for your triumph. Too late for the victory of the prince of this world. Now is the day of the Lord's visitation. Sin trembles, death retreats - the earth trembles and all is made anew.
O majestic throne of Christ upon which He hung! What is the Cross but the sum total of all the sins of every human person who has ever lived, lives, and ever will live condensed unto two beams of wood. It is an instrument of torture and torment just as our sins rend the soul and rip the flesh. It is the sign of the cruelty that reigns in each of our hearts. It is as heavy as a mountain but as light as the flight of gossiping words. And God was nailed to this thing - this reprobated wood! His blood drained out upon its rough frame painting its ill intentions with love divine. Pilot and the Jews believed that they had nailed this Jesus to the Cross. Yet, they knew not the sublime truth. The truth was that the cross was nailed to our Lord. It was not our Lord who writhed upon the cross but the cross who writhed upon His sacred frame. The death of God was unto life and that life was unto the death of the cross! O sin, O cruelty, O wretched soul of demonic intentions, you have been nailed, pierced, thrust through and cast aside by the God who is sovereign over all. O death, if you knew your fate would you have fled? O cross of Christ would you not have rejected the nails if you knew your hour had come? Yet, too late is the hour for your triumph. Too late for the victory of the prince of this world. Now is the day of the Lord's visitation. Sin trembles, death retreats - the earth trembles and all is made anew.
The Fourth Glorious Mystery
The Assumption of Mary
Mary is the great image of the Christian. Mary is the faithful virgin who unites her will so perfectly to the Father's will that our very redemption is made possible. She is the immaculate one, the pure bride and model of the Church. She gives birth to Christ in the flesh and she gives birth to each of us in the Spirit. She is the perfect Christian. It is no surprise that she would be taken up into heaven in such a radical way. But is it so radical? Is this not a foretaste of what will happen to our mortal bodies? Does she not now receive what we will all receive at the consummation of the world? Yes. Mary is the forerunner even as John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. In her very body Mary is the proof of the promises of Christ. In her body she shows us what our future glory in heaven will one day be. With our trust placed firmly on Christ we dare to hope that we will one day enter into the communion of the blessed. Yet, more gloriously we will one day be reunited to our bodies as Mary is now united to hers. What a wondrous gift. How good is our Lord that He would raise up our broken and mortal flesh and infuse it with His very life. We look to you O Mary as we travel through this troubled world. You show us the humble way to your Son. Guide us so that we may come to be with you in the glory of God for all eternity. Look with mercy upon us who cry to you for we do not share your impeccable state. We are sinners who follow you with little steps toward your most glorious Son. Intercede for us, my Queen, and show us the way to Him.
Mary is the great image of the Christian. Mary is the faithful virgin who unites her will so perfectly to the Father's will that our very redemption is made possible. She is the immaculate one, the pure bride and model of the Church. She gives birth to Christ in the flesh and she gives birth to each of us in the Spirit. She is the perfect Christian. It is no surprise that she would be taken up into heaven in such a radical way. But is it so radical? Is this not a foretaste of what will happen to our mortal bodies? Does she not now receive what we will all receive at the consummation of the world? Yes. Mary is the forerunner even as John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. In her very body Mary is the proof of the promises of Christ. In her body she shows us what our future glory in heaven will one day be. With our trust placed firmly on Christ we dare to hope that we will one day enter into the communion of the blessed. Yet, more gloriously we will one day be reunited to our bodies as Mary is now united to hers. What a wondrous gift. How good is our Lord that He would raise up our broken and mortal flesh and infuse it with His very life. We look to you O Mary as we travel through this troubled world. You show us the humble way to your Son. Guide us so that we may come to be with you in the glory of God for all eternity. Look with mercy upon us who cry to you for we do not share your impeccable state. We are sinners who follow you with little steps toward your most glorious Son. Intercede for us, my Queen, and show us the way to Him.
29 April 2010
The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery
Jesus Carries the Cross
Who's Cross is this? Surely the Cross does not belong to Jesus. This Cross that He shoulders is my cross. It is mine by right but it is His by choice. I earned that cross. It is I who ought to be stretched out upon it. The damage that I have done in this short life by my sins can only be considered worthy of the cross. The innocence of Jesus cannot bear its weight. He falls, he falls, and again he falls! He is nearly dead from the treatment that He was given before He was made a spectacle for the crowd by Pilot - and now He does this?! He carries my cross for me? How ungrateful I am for such an unfathomable kindness. Can I ever repay my Lord? No. He does not even ask it. All He desires is my love. Why can't I give to Him that which He asks in return? Am I so weak. Yes. When faced with His strength, when he hoists the tree upon which He will hang, as He drags my sins to Calvary, and when it is all for love of me; I cannot but realize my utter helplessness before Him. I am conquered by His love. I want to despair for my lack of love. I want to hid from His searching gaze. But, I cannot hid from it. I cannot crawl into the shadows and die in my sorrows. I look upon my Lord who loves me and I want to love. I hope to love. I yearn to love! Lord, teach me to love, Lord teach me to die so as to live. Lord, help me because without you I cannot take a single step. Lord!!
Who's Cross is this? Surely the Cross does not belong to Jesus. This Cross that He shoulders is my cross. It is mine by right but it is His by choice. I earned that cross. It is I who ought to be stretched out upon it. The damage that I have done in this short life by my sins can only be considered worthy of the cross. The innocence of Jesus cannot bear its weight. He falls, he falls, and again he falls! He is nearly dead from the treatment that He was given before He was made a spectacle for the crowd by Pilot - and now He does this?! He carries my cross for me? How ungrateful I am for such an unfathomable kindness. Can I ever repay my Lord? No. He does not even ask it. All He desires is my love. Why can't I give to Him that which He asks in return? Am I so weak. Yes. When faced with His strength, when he hoists the tree upon which He will hang, as He drags my sins to Calvary, and when it is all for love of me; I cannot but realize my utter helplessness before Him. I am conquered by His love. I want to despair for my lack of love. I want to hid from His searching gaze. But, I cannot hid from it. I cannot crawl into the shadows and die in my sorrows. I look upon my Lord who loves me and I want to love. I hope to love. I yearn to love! Lord, teach me to love, Lord teach me to die so as to live. Lord, help me because without you I cannot take a single step. Lord!!
28 April 2010
The Third Glorious Mystery
The Descent of the Holy Spirit
As Elisha is covered with the mantel of Elijah the Apostles are covered with the mantel of the Holy Spirit. Elisha received a double-portion of the spirit of Elijah while the Apostles received the over-abundant plenitude of the Spirit of God. No place is this more evident than with the Prince of the Apostles. Peter is transformed from a stumbling, bumbling cur of a man into the Blessed Peter we see in the Acts of the Apostles and in his epistles. So great was the grace bestowed upon Peter that people yearned to merely be touched by his shadow that they might be healed. How abundant is God's gift to those whom He loves. Peter received what we all might receive if we only had faith in the Lord Jesus. Just a little faith, the faith of a mustard seed, and we too will work signs and wonders in the midst of His people. But we must be humble and pierce the depth of the command of service. If I invoke the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus it must be to build His Church. This gift is not given to me for me. Rather, this gift is given to me for others. The Holy Spirit prays for me, preaches for me, lives in me so that it is no longer I who works but Christ who works in me. But, Mary too was in the upper room and she wrote no great letters, preached no great sermons nor performed any great healings. What then does this service mean? It is not merely for actions of a practical nature. We must never forget that the Kingdom is of the Spirit and not of the Flesh. Thus, Mary shows us the humble way of service. She neither speaks nor labors in the vineyard of the world. Instead it is through her stable intercession on behalf of all her Children that she builds up the Kingdom. This must be our first act. We must intercede for our brothers and sisters as Mary intercedes for us. It is only after we pray for others that we may be of corporeal service to them. Let us not forget the Spirit! Our age dwells on the pragmatism of the flesh and we must never succumb to the temptation of such pragmatism. We must spread the Gospel with broad brushstrokes adding flourishes and beauty to this life. Through our own Deification we must divinize the world. Come O Holy Spirit ... renew the face of the earth.
As Elisha is covered with the mantel of Elijah the Apostles are covered with the mantel of the Holy Spirit. Elisha received a double-portion of the spirit of Elijah while the Apostles received the over-abundant plenitude of the Spirit of God. No place is this more evident than with the Prince of the Apostles. Peter is transformed from a stumbling, bumbling cur of a man into the Blessed Peter we see in the Acts of the Apostles and in his epistles. So great was the grace bestowed upon Peter that people yearned to merely be touched by his shadow that they might be healed. How abundant is God's gift to those whom He loves. Peter received what we all might receive if we only had faith in the Lord Jesus. Just a little faith, the faith of a mustard seed, and we too will work signs and wonders in the midst of His people. But we must be humble and pierce the depth of the command of service. If I invoke the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus it must be to build His Church. This gift is not given to me for me. Rather, this gift is given to me for others. The Holy Spirit prays for me, preaches for me, lives in me so that it is no longer I who works but Christ who works in me. But, Mary too was in the upper room and she wrote no great letters, preached no great sermons nor performed any great healings. What then does this service mean? It is not merely for actions of a practical nature. We must never forget that the Kingdom is of the Spirit and not of the Flesh. Thus, Mary shows us the humble way of service. She neither speaks nor labors in the vineyard of the world. Instead it is through her stable intercession on behalf of all her Children that she builds up the Kingdom. This must be our first act. We must intercede for our brothers and sisters as Mary intercedes for us. It is only after we pray for others that we may be of corporeal service to them. Let us not forget the Spirit! Our age dwells on the pragmatism of the flesh and we must never succumb to the temptation of such pragmatism. We must spread the Gospel with broad brushstrokes adding flourishes and beauty to this life. Through our own Deification we must divinize the world. Come O Holy Spirit ... renew the face of the earth.
The Third Sorrowful Mystery
The Mocking of Jesus
I must reflect on the culmination of this event. Call it a Spanish affectation but I find this moment to be one of the greatest in the whole of Scripture. This is what Scripture and Art call the Ecce Homo. Behold the Man! Jesus has been shackled and beat since the night before - Behold Him! He has been scourged ruthlessly at the command of Pilot - Behold Him! He has been beaten and ridiculed by soldiers - Behold Him! His sacred head has been pierced with numerous thorns, tearing and rending His flesh - Behold Him! Chained, beaten, bloody, torn, pierced, mocked, starved, imprisoned, naked, hated, scorned, defiled, shorn of His dignity, made a spectacle for the crowd, Behold our God! Don't turn away your eyes. It is at this moment when he is a mirror of you. Here, as He stands for judgment in such a retched condition He most perfectly resembles our humanity. What torments will He not endure to win your love? And yet they look upon Him without love, without care, without any touch of humanity. They look at Him as jackals upon a carcass. Do not look away. Gaze intently upon the eyes of your savior, for it is there, behind the blood and the gore marring His Blessed face, where you will see the tender love of your God. Never look away!
The Second Glorious Mystery
The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven
Please forgive me if I get a little distraught here but I have always had a problem with this mystery. Why does Jesus Ascend into Heaven? If Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity this moment in the Gospel makes no sense. The problem is that at every single moment Christ is already in heaven in the presence of His Father. Heaven is not a "place" in the technical sense and so there is no "place" to go to in order to get to heaven. Upward does not equal heavenward. In one sense it can be said that where there is Jesus, so too there is heaven. But, where does He go and why does He go up till the Apostles can no longer see Him in the sky? This is all very strange. I would never be so impious to deny this action of Christ nor would I be so vile as to deny that the Scriptures are recounting a historical fact. However, I have never been able to reconcile this doctrine in my own mind. However, maybe I'm approaching the mystery from the wrong angle.
I would suggest (to myself as well as to the reader) that perhaps the clue is found in the Transfiguration. As the Transfiguration is a manifestation of Christ's glory as God, so too is the Ascension. It is a Theophany which are always directed to instruct our weak human intellect about God's true nature. This leads me to consider its Old Testament foreshadowing. The scene of the Ascension brings to mind the assumption of Elijah into heaven while Elisha (and presumably the rest of his prophetic band) bore witness. The similarity is striking but the differences are stunning in what they say about Christ. Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire, the instrument of God's power, "up" to heaven. But Jesus ascends to heaven of His own power, naming Him God. Elijah imparts a "double-portion" of his own power to Elisha. Christ commissions the Apostles giving them Power over every living thing. The sacrament of Elijah's power is the gift of his mantel but Christ will shortly gift His Holy Spirit. Elisha continues the prophetic mission of Elijah. The Apostles (and especially Peter in the Acts) continue the salvific mission of the Lord. I'm sure that much more could be said about this moment in the Pasch of Christ but this should be enough foster a deeper meditation. Lord, unveil my eyes and give me Your Holy Spirit so that I may see deeper and realize the magnificence of the Revelation of Your very Self.
Please forgive me if I get a little distraught here but I have always had a problem with this mystery. Why does Jesus Ascend into Heaven? If Jesus is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity this moment in the Gospel makes no sense. The problem is that at every single moment Christ is already in heaven in the presence of His Father. Heaven is not a "place" in the technical sense and so there is no "place" to go to in order to get to heaven. Upward does not equal heavenward. In one sense it can be said that where there is Jesus, so too there is heaven. But, where does He go and why does He go up till the Apostles can no longer see Him in the sky? This is all very strange. I would never be so impious to deny this action of Christ nor would I be so vile as to deny that the Scriptures are recounting a historical fact. However, I have never been able to reconcile this doctrine in my own mind. However, maybe I'm approaching the mystery from the wrong angle.
I would suggest (to myself as well as to the reader) that perhaps the clue is found in the Transfiguration. As the Transfiguration is a manifestation of Christ's glory as God, so too is the Ascension. It is a Theophany which are always directed to instruct our weak human intellect about God's true nature. This leads me to consider its Old Testament foreshadowing. The scene of the Ascension brings to mind the assumption of Elijah into heaven while Elisha (and presumably the rest of his prophetic band) bore witness. The similarity is striking but the differences are stunning in what they say about Christ. Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire, the instrument of God's power, "up" to heaven. But Jesus ascends to heaven of His own power, naming Him God. Elijah imparts a "double-portion" of his own power to Elisha. Christ commissions the Apostles giving them Power over every living thing. The sacrament of Elijah's power is the gift of his mantel but Christ will shortly gift His Holy Spirit. Elisha continues the prophetic mission of Elijah. The Apostles (and especially Peter in the Acts) continue the salvific mission of the Lord. I'm sure that much more could be said about this moment in the Pasch of Christ but this should be enough foster a deeper meditation. Lord, unveil my eyes and give me Your Holy Spirit so that I may see deeper and realize the magnificence of the Revelation of Your very Self.
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