[3]Passion of Christ against satan; Part 28 - Life of Mary
Marida Ignacio
19 thru 25 on the "Life of Mary" series to jump to chapter/part
26 in commemoration of the Passion of our Lord. These parts 26 thru
33 are still from the same book but is more focused on the Passion of
our Lord.
I'll continue with "regular programming" next week, starting right back
on chapter/part 19.
-Marida
=============================================================
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.
=============================================================
[from the book:
The Life of Mary as Seen by Mystics
Compiled by Raphael Brown
Chap.
28. Prelude to the Passion]
----
Jesus told Mary that the time was near for Him to go to Jerusalem and
suffer His Passion. Mary wept quietly and Jesus comforted her telling
her that this was the will of His Father and that as His Mother she
must therefore continue to be strong and brave as an example to strengthen
followers and edify them. Then they prayed together to God and Mary
thought:
"Oh, if only I could receive the pains and sorrow that await Him, and
suffer death so as to save His life! Accept, Heavenly Father, the
sacrifice of my grief and affection, which I offer in union with Him,
in order that Thy holy will may be fulfilled. O, children of Adam, begin
at last to take heed of the harm caused by your sins!"
Soon, knowing that their separation in this world was near, Jesus
and Mary each felt more intense longing for each other. They also
increased their conversion and healing towards the poor and suffering.
Later, when Mary and Jesus were staying at the home of Lazarus, after
raising Lazarus from the tomb, Judas was angered and he hated Jesus
when He defended Mary Magdalen for washing His feet. Judas plotted
with the Pharisees for Jesus' arrest.
Mary perceived Judas' plan that on the night before Palm sunday, she
called Judas aside. She tried to persuade him to turn away from
his evil intentions by explaining to him its threat to his soul.
She asked him to give his vengeance upon her instead of towards Jesus.
She offered him gifts from Mary Magdalen. But nothing changed Judas'
mind.
Mary went to Jesus weeping and together they prostrated themselves
on the ground and prayed for sinners, offering themselves as willing
victims for the salvation of mankind.
Thus, before midnight, God the Father and the Holy Spirit, accompanied
by multitude of angels, accepted the sacrifice of the Son and the Eternal
Father addressed the Blessed Virgin with:
"Mary, Our Daughter and Spouse, I desire that you ratify this sacrifice
of you Son for the redemption of men." The Mother of God replied:
"O Lord, I offer Him and myself entirely as a sacrifice to Thy divine
will, but I beseech Thee to permit me to suffer with Thy Son and mine!"
The heavenly Father raised them both from the ground and said:
"This is the fruit of the blessed earth which I have desired."
Then He exalted the Savior of humanity and placed Him in Heaven on His
right while Mary reverently uttered the first words of 109th Psalm:
"The Lord said unto my Lord: 'Sit thou at My right hand...'" And
God intoned the rest of the Psalm's mystic prophecies, which were
now about to be fulfilled.
The next day while Mary remained in Lazarus' home in Bethany, Jesus
traveled Jerusalem on a donkey and Mary saw in visions His triumph
as His followers received enthusiastic acclamations.
A few days after, Judas gave way to evil and made arrangements with
Pharisees to betray his Master. He inquired about the Apostles,
Mary and Jesus and their plans for the next days. When he asked
Mary, she replied, "Who can penetrate, O Judas, the secret judgement
of the Most High?" So Mary did not warn or stop him anymore. She
just prayed for him. Jesus also informed His Apostles of His imminent
Passion that they became profoundly sad.
The Apostles asked Jesus if He would take His Mother with Him when
He left. Jesus told them that she would remain with them for some
more years and He said more things in praise of her.
(exact qoute follows)
The next day, while instructing about 30 of His disciples in Bethany,
he revealed to them that His Holy mother would suffer with Him in her
compassionate heart all the cruel torture of His Passion, that she
would mystically die His bitter death with her, but that she would
still have to survive Him for about 15 years.
During these days between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, the Savior
passed every moment He could spare with His Mother, who was inexpressibly
sad. He disclosed to her many divine mysteries concerning the Redemption,
and He told her all that she was to do during His Passion and death.
In these talks, He spoke to her with a new reserve and majesty, for now
the tenderness and caresses of a son toward his mother had ceased.
(end qoute)
--
___ ___
(__ \/ ) 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..."
*