Part 24 - Life of Mary
Marida Ignacio
DISCLAIMER: This compilation was based on saints, blesseds,
visionaries (4 in all) accounts of the "Life of Mary" as
"revealed" to them. It is NOT officially approved by the
Church as essential to our faith and belief. It is up to
individual reader's discretion to believe it or not.
This is here for simple contemplation on what "Holy life of
Our Blessed Virgin Mother" was and what virtues we can derive
from it.
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>From the book:
The Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics
Compiled by Raphael Brown
TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
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Summary:
Chap. 24. Preparation for the Public Life
Mary did not have to work in the four years after St. Joseph's death,
so she spent more time in prayers. Jesus and Mary only ate once a day
at about 6 o'clock in the evening. Their meals usually are just bread
but sometimes Mary added some fish, fruits or vegetables.
In the privacy of their home, Mary would adore Jesus by prostrating on
the ground until Jesus told her to rise. Then with tears of reverence
and love, and humility she would kiss His feet or hands. She served
Him with joy and zeal and she would do the tasks herself telling her
angels who would begin them: "My friends, permit me to do this work,
since I can thereby gain merits which you do not need. I know the
value of such works which the world despises, and the Lord has given
me this knowledge in order that I may perform it myself and not let
it be done by others."
Jesus revealed to His Mother still deeper understanding of the mystery
of sin and redemption, His predestined Apostles and saints of the Church,
His preaching and how she was to co-operate with Him and help Him found
His Church.
Jesus was offered a cottage near Capharnaum on the northern shore of
the Lake of Galilee by a man named Levi who lived in Capharnaum. So Mary
and Jesus moved all their modest belongings to this cottage and closed
up their house in Nazareth only staying there when Jesus preached in
Nazareth or its surroundings.
When Jesus turned 27 years old, He went with men to go on trips of
preaching that lasted 2-3 days. He prayed on the hills of Galilee.
Mary missed Him so keenly. Upon His return, Jesus gave His Mother
His hand and greeted her with affection but also with grave restraint.
Mary then lovingly prepared refreshing meals for Him.
One day Jesus told Mary to assist Him in His teaching. Mary obliged
and she often walked behind Jesus in the villages of Galilee and she
stood beside Him during His conversations with men and women telling
them that the Messias was already in the Land of Israel. Many
decidedly gave up their sinful ways of life upon hearing Jesus'
teaching and thus they are capable of believing that the Messias had
already began His reign.
Jesus and Mary visited the poor, the sick and grief stricken, giving
them peace, good health in body, mind and spirit.
Often, Jesus and Mary begged for their food and the angels who accompany
them brought it to them.
When St. John the Baptist reached the age of 30, He was commanded by
the Lord to come forth from the desert where he lived and prepare the
way for the Messias. He was intensely devoted to Mary for she regularly
sent her angels to bring him food and some news about his Lord whom
he worshipped from afar.
St. John preached penance and baptized people of Israel on the banks
of the River Jordan. He wore camel skin, leather belt and was barefooted.
Although his manner was graceful, modest and kind, he was terrifying
to the proud, the hard-hearted and the greedy.
One day, when Jesus was 30 years old, God told Mary:
"Mary, My Daughter and My Spouse, offer your Son to Me as a sacrifice."
(exact qoute follows)
Realizing that the time had at last come for the redemption of mankind
through the Public Life and Death of Christ, she replied generously:
"Eternal King and Almighty God, Lord of all, He is Thine and so am I.
What then can I offer Thee that is not more Thine then mine? Yet
because He is the life of my soul and the soul of my life, to yield
Him into the hands of His enemies at the cost of His life is a great
sacrifice. However, let not my will but Thine be done. I offer
up my Son in order that He may pay the debt contracted by the children
of Adam."
The Blessed Trinity immediately rewarded and consoled her by a vision
in which she was shown the glory and the good that would result from
Jesus' sacrifice and hers. When she came out of this rapture, Mary
was prepared to endure the pain of being separated from her beloved
Son and Lord.
Jesus therefore called her and said:
"My Mother, give Me your consent to accomplish the will of My Eternal
Father, for the time has come when I must begin My work for men.
Although I must now leave you alone for a while, My blessing and
powerful protection will remain with you. Later I will return and
claim your help and company in my task."
Both Jesus and Mary were so deeply moved in this moment of parting
that htey were weeping quietly and the Lord tenderly placed His
arms around His Mother's shoulders. Among other things He told
her that He would still go to Jerusalem, 3 times for the Passover,
and that the third time her heart would suffer cruelly. Then
Mary fell at His feet and said with intense sorrow and reverence:
"My Lord, I offer Thee my own will as a sacrifice. And as Thy
Mother I ask only that I may be allowed to share Thy labors and
Thy Cross."
They went to the door together, and Mary kissed her Son's feet as
He gave her His blessing. Then Jesus set out on His journey to
the River Jordan, where John was baptizing. (end qoute)
The Lord commanded Mary's angels to attend to her in visible
form while she spent most of her life alone shut up in her house
praying and prostrated on the ground.
Her angels informed her of Jesus' actions and prayers that she
imitated His posture and the same words.
Mary was given visions of Jesus as He was baptized by St. John,
His fasting and prayers for 40 days in the desert, the temptations
by the devils and Jesus' success over them. Mary also spent these
40 days fasting and praying allso that after it wasa over, the angels
gave her the miraculous food that Jesus sent so they ate the same
and at the same time.
Then Jesus spent time preaching in public and Mary imitated Him by
visiting on foot some sick and poor women and children, instructing,
healing and consoling them.
Then Mary accepted the Apostles that Jesus called: Andrew, John,
Peter, Philip, and Nathanael as her spiritual children in the Lord
and prayed fervently for them.
Jesus talked about His mother to them that they revered and admired
her. St. John conceived a holy love and esteem for her and all the
Apostles begged Jesus to let them meet and honor His Mother. And
so, Jesus led them northward to the Lake of Galilee.
Mary perceived that they were coming and so she set the cottage in
order and prepared food for them. Mary waited for Jesus at the door
and when He entered, she prostrated herself on the floor, kissed
His feet and asked for His blessings. The Apostles were awed and
filled with devotion to Jesus upon seeing this humility and
reverence shown by Mary to her Son.
All Apostles felt a mystical attraction toward the holy Mother of
God and they knelt before her and begged her to accept them as her
sons and servants with St. John initiating the gesture. Then she
personally served them the meal she prepared.
After the disciples had retired that night, Jesus and Mary prayed
in her oratory then he talked to her about the Mystery of Baptism.
Jesus promised her before that she would be baptized and so He
administered the Sacrament to her Himself.
(exact qoute follows)
Then, in the presence of a multitude of visible angels, Jesus
baptized his Immaculate Mother, and immediately the Voice of the
Eternal Father was heard saying:
"This is My beloved Daughter in whom I take delight."
Next, the Incarnate Word declared:
"This is My beloved Mother whom I have selected and who will assist
Me in all My works."
And lastly, the holy Spirit added:
"This is My Spouse chosen among thousands."
(end qoute)
---
The Blessed Virgin said to St. Bridget of Sweden:
"You are not able to see my Son as He is in Heaven, but
let me describe to you His physical appearance as He was in the
world. His features were so beautiful that no one looked at His
Face without feeling filled with joy and consolation, even when
depressed. Yes, even the wicked were free from worldly gloom
while looking at Him. Consequently, persons suffering from sorrow
used to say: 'Let us go and see Mary's Son, and we shall be without
our grief at least that long.'
"When He was twenty years old, He reached His full growth in manly
stature and strength. He had no superfluous flesh. His muscles
were well-developed. And He was powerfully built. His hair,
eyebrows and beard were light brown. His beard measured the width
of a hand. His forehead was neither prominent nor retreating,
but straight and erect. His nose was well-proportioned, neither
large nor small. His eyes were so clear and pure that even His
enemies enjoyed looking at Him. His lips were not thick but
light red. His chin did not jut out and was not overlong, but
pleasing and finely proportioned. His cheeks were moderately
full and His complexion was clear white mixed with fresh red.
He held Himself straight and erect, and there wasnot a spot on His
whole body."
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(__ \/ ) His Peace through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marida
* )XxXx/
* | / "Human-kind: Where protection of valuable life starts and
* ) / takes off."
* \/ Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..."
*