Friday, December 06, 2013

Mary TV Daily Reflection 12/6/2013


  
"You will walk with my son and with me."
(c)Mary TV 2013


J.M.J.
December 6, 2013
St. Nicholas

Dear Family of Mary!

"Dear children....Therefore, do not reject the cross. Strive to comprehend and accept it with my help. When you will be able to accept the cross you will also understand the love of the Heavenly Father; you will walk with my Son and with me; you will differ from those who have not come to know the love of the Heavenly Father, those who listen to Him but do not understand Him, those who do not walk with Him - who have not come to know Him..." (December 2, 2013)

And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyre'ne, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. (Lk 23: 26)

In the movie, "The Passion of the Christ" there is a moment when Simon of Cyre'ne is commandeered to help Jesus carry the cross. Jesus is just too weak to go any further, and so the Roman soldiers force Simon to pick up the cross that is crushing Jesus, and to also help Jesus rise up and walk. Simon is not pleased. He was on his way into Jerusalem with his boys to offer sacrifice. He did not want to get involved in this terrible scene. But as he struggles with Jesus on the road to Golgotha, he begins to change. He becomes sensitive to the injustice of this torture of an innocent man. He begins to feel the deep love of Jesus, who is struggling next to him on the road. Their arms intertwine, and embrace in a gesture of unity and love. Simon in the end is a different man. He has come to know Jesus, and he will never be the same.

Our Lady says that when we accept the cross, we will walk with her Son. Is this not what Simon did? He walked with Jesus, helping Jesus carry the cross, shielding Jesus from the abuse of the onlookers and the soldiers, and growing in love for this man who is so rejected and yet so wonderful. She says that when we accept the cross we will differ from those who have not come to know the love of the heavenly Father. We will begin to be different from others. Think of Simon, he became different from all the people who were lining the street, hurling abuse at Jesus, merely because he was condemned. Simon was now not like them. He had compassion for Jesus. He sided with Jesus. He was not one of them anymore.

Our Lady says, "You will differ from those who have not come to know the love of the Heavenly Father, those who listen to Him but do not understand Him, those who do not walk with Him - who have not come to know Him..." Those who do not understand the Father, who do not walk with Him or know Him might be those who do not accept the cross. They fear the cross. They run from it. They see the cross as failure. And so they just do not understand God. God is mysterious. He is the God who sends His Son to die for us. Preposterous!!

Those who hate the cross do not understand it. The cross is salvation, that loving act that saves us all from eternal death. The love that flows from the cross is all powerful, and it comes through the cross, through the death of Jesus. When we help Jesus carry His cross, we help Him love the world.

And so, like Simon of Cyre'ne, we are being asked to carry the cross with Jesus, to walk beside him on the way, and to help Him carry it. In doing so, we begin to know Him. And in knowing Jesus, like Simon, we fall in love with Him. Jesus will then reveal the Father to us.

And one last thought.  Our Lady says that when we accept the cross "you will walk with my Son and with me."  Our Lady was always near by as Jesus carried the cross.  She did not falter for a moment.  She was there with Jesus.  And she will be with us as well.  We could not ask for more than that have Mother Mary at our side as we help Jesus carry the cross.  Let us not reject such a way!   


In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013

PS. I received an email in which a good point was made about yesterday's reflection. When Mother Elvira teaches her community to be silent, swallow, suffer, and smile, she is talking to adults who are in community, in a loving and controlled environment. This way of responding to difficulties is not appropriate for anyone who is vulnerable to abuse, especially habitual abuse. Children, family members, the elderly, can be abused by their caregivers, and be forced to be silent and have no recourse. It is important that they find the way to speak out, get help, escape such abuse. That is not what Mother Elvira was thinking of in this teaching. This was for community life. I hope that makes sense.







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