Life of Mary - part 35
Marida Ignacio
Since this is just a summary, it may not have a lot of important and
essential details on what happened. It is then best, for those
interested, to not depend on my narration and so, read the book themselves.
-Marida
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics
Compiled by Raphael Brown
ISBN: 0-89555-436-4
TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
P.X. Box 424
Rockford, Illinois 61105
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chap.
35. Mary's Last Years
Mary grew thin and pale in the last 15 years of her life after the Ascension
because she slept only about half an hour each night and only ate meals
consisting of just plain bread and occasionally a little fish. Yet she
remained beautiful and without signs of aging since she reached the age
of 33.
The Virgin grew in gravity and only smiled occasionally. She usually wore
a simple white robe and veil and when she regularly went on pilgrimage to
the Way of the Cross, she wore a black veil.
St. John and Mary were cautioned by the Lord to flee from the Holy City
since Christians were about to be persecuted there. He also said that they
should stay in Ephesus instead of St. John's first decision of going to
Asia Minor.
They traveled on ship northwarad across the Mediterranean sea and upon
reaching Ephesus, St. John and Mary settled in an isolated home of some
poor women. The Blessed Virgn continued to pray for the Christians
persecuted by Herod in the Holy Land.
St. James, in missionary work, passed by Ephesus and Mary encouraged him
in strength to face his approaching death in Jerusalem. She requested that
he intercede for the Church once he reached Heaven.
The brother of St. John, St. James, was special to Mary due to his
extraordinary generosity and fervor of which led him to extensive missionary
journies. He was also the first Apostle to suffer martyrdom. His missionary
route went from Jerusalem, Granada, Spain, Saragossa then back to Jerusalem
where he was martyred. Within this missionary route, te Blessed Virgin
saved him once from execution in Granada and she again appeared to him in
Saragossa to tell him that God wanted a shrine in her name be built there.
Back in Jerusalem, St. Jamaes preached fearlessly until he was arrested.
He prayed fervently for Mary's help and before he was beheaded, Mary
appeared to him with her angels. St. James said, "Mother of my Lord, I beg
you to offer the sacrifice of my life to your Son!"
Mary accompanied the soul of the first martyred Apostle to Heaven and God
said to her: "My Daughter, for the exaltation of My Holy Name, for thy
glory and for the benefit of mortals, I now give thee My royal word that
if men, at the hour of their death, call upon thee with affection, like my
servant James, I will look upon them with fatherly mercy."
Meanwhile, St. Peter was also arrested by the Christian persecutors.
>From Ephesus, Mary saw this in a vision and she prayed for his acquittal.
The Lord finally instructed Mary to cast to Hell all the devils that were
causing hatred towards Christians in Jerusalem and because of Herod's
hardheartedness and injustice, He was stricken with death by God. St. Peter
was freed.
The Blessed Virgin converted some people in Ephesus and she prayed specially
for the pagan priestesses of the Temple of Diana. Mary succeeded and
brought 9 of them to the belief in the only One True God.
St. John and Mary went back to Jerusalem in a 14-day trip with which the
devils tried in vain to sink the boat until Jesus appeared and calmed the
sea in response to Mary's prayers. St. John and the Blessed Virgin came
back because of Peter's request in a letter that He needed the Blessed
Virgin's help in deciding on applying the Law of Moses to the Gentile
converts.
Mary went first to the Cenacle in spite of her desire to go on pilgrimage
to the Way of the Cross. She met St. Paul and St. Barnabas who both thanked
her for interceding in prayers for their conversion, as what Jesus told them.
The Mother of God knelt and kissed St. Paul's hand and he was given mystical
insight into Mary's role in the Church of Christ.
Mary attended the first meeting of the Apostles upon St. Peter's request and
He announced that they should pray for 10 days such that the Holy Spirit
might help them in this difficult decision at hand. During these 10 days,
the Mother of God retired in her room without eating and speaking to anyone.
On the 10th day, the council decided not to impose the ancient Jewish
practices on the Gentile Converts.
(exact qoute follows)
Later, when Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in turn began to write the Gospels,
the Blessed Virgin not only prayed for them, but also appeared to each and
requested him not to mention her except when absolutely necessary. Only
St. Luke received her permission to write somewhat more freely about her,
and he drew much of his information from her direct inspiration. Even when
St. John wrote his Gospel some years after Mary's death, she appeared to him
and told him that it was still not opportune for him to reveal the mysteries
which he knew concerning her part in the plan of the Redemption, in order
that many of the new Christians who had been idolators should not make a
goddess of the Holy Mother of God. (end qoute)
After the first historic council, the Apostles and disciples left Jerusalem.
Mary gave St. Paul and St. Barnabus some relics as what she gave to Peter
and the other Apostles before their journey.
Mary watched over the Apostles and disciples in their preaching and sometimes
she appeared to them or send her angels to warn them of dangers so they could
go alternative ways.
Maray wrote letters to the Apostles and in the Apostles' prayers, she
sometimes appeared to them. She appeared to St. Peter when he was in Antioch
then also when he was in Rome.
The Apostles celebrated Mass in different parts of the world they were in
and the Blessed Virgin helped prepared the items and materials needed for the
celebration.
The Blessed Virgin had not forgotten her charity to the poor and the sick in
Jerusalem.
Satan observed all the marvels and conversions that the Blessed Virgin had
accomplished and he planned to destroy her by one concerted attack. There
was an intense spiritual battle and God gave Lucifer a vision of the Blessed
Mother as "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet,
and upon her head was a crown of twelve stars". This put forth the devils'
defeat and the Savior said to the Blessed Virgin: "My Beloved, thou hast
given Me human form. Thou hast followed and imitated Me above all My
creatures. Be thou therefore the protectress of My Church. Command the
infernal dragon that as long as thou shalt live in the Church, he shall not
sow the seed of error and heresy, for during the days of thy life and desire
that the Church derive this advantage from thy presence."
As the Blessed Virgin commanded, "that great dragon was cast down to the
earth, and with him his angels..."
Mary realized that her attention was being divided between attachment to
the Church of mankind and longing to be with God in Heaven. God resolved
this dilemma by allowing Mary to receive mystical wisdom and unity of her
mind, heart and soul to God even while she continued her work in the Church.
The Blessed Virgin performed acts of mortification in reparation for all the
insults given to Jesus during His Passion, while she devoutly went on
pilgrimages and prayers to the Way of the Cross.
St. John celebrataed Mass and the Blessed Virgin received the Holy Communion
every day then she would retire to her room in meditation and prayers that
sometimes St. John witnessed rays of light dart from the Mother of God's
body.
Mary's longing to be liberated from her mortal life so as to be with God in
Heaven increased even more. Being an invaluable guide to the Church was the
only reason that the Lord had not taken her to Heaven even though she merited
it greatly.
To make her persevere in staying, the Lord had given her special grace of
celebrating the Resurrection in a mystical way every Sunday as well as
intimate union with Him upon receiving the Holy Eucharist by manifesting
Himself to her in resplendent Human form everyday.
The Mother of God commemorated all the great feast days: Annunciation,
Nativity, Incarnation, the Redemption which has since been instituted by the
Church. Every year on the Ascension feast day, the Lord asked Mary if she
would want to remain on earth and she humbly answered each time: only if it
was the Will of God.
---
The Blessed Virgin to St. Bridget of Sweden:
"After the Ascension of my Son, I still lived a long time in the world.
Such was the Will of God, in order that by seeing my patience and my conduct,
many more souls might be converted to Him, and in order that the Apostles
and other elect souls of God might be strengthened. Also the natural
constitution of my being required that I should live longer and that thereby
my crown might be increased.
"During all the time that I lived after my Son's Ascension, I visited the
places where He had suffered and where He had performed His miracles. Thus,
the memory of His Passion became so imprinted on my heart that it ever
remained quite fresh in my mind, whether I happened to be eating or working.
"My senses were so completely withdrawn from worldly things that I constantly
alternated between new supernatural yearnings and sorrows. Yet I controlled
my grief and my joy in such a way that I did not neglect any of my duties
toward God. My way of life among people was such that apart from my scanty
meals, I paid no attention to what human beings thought of me or expected me
to do."
--
-Marida (mar...@ecs.comm.mot.com)