MARY AND THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD
3. The Effects of the Ascension.
a) In Our Lady. Great joy, an immense satisfaction, such as only She, the Mother of the Saviour, could experience. A greater love for God on seeing the loving work of Redemption completed. How thankful would She feel towards God. But on the other side what sadness to find Herself deprived of Jesus! She would no longer live with Him. She would no longer receive His visits. How heavy was Her life going to be. What a long and unbearable exile! And this separation had to last for years and years. Always without that Son for whom She had so tenderly existed. Only a lover can appreciate this sacrifice of the Heavenly Mother. But She accepted it generously as She had once done in the Temple, as She had once done in Calvary. Once more thank Our Lady for this sacrifice done out of love for us.
b) In the Apostles. The effects on them were a great admiration and an immense joy. They did not grow tired of looking up to Heaven. This gave them joy and strength. How many times during their labors and sufferings would they look up to Heaven again and be comforted. Moreover, their faith grew in a great manner on seeing the glorious crowning of the life and death of their Master. They now realized at last what kind of Kingdom was His and where it was.
Their hope was equally strengthened through the promise of the sending of the Holy Spirit, and through the word pledged by Jesus of taking also them to that glory where He was going. Finally, their charity was also enlarged. Their love for their Master grew in their hearts. They now realized how much Jesus loved them.
c) Within Us. Ask Our Lady that something similar may happen to your heart. That your faith may be strengthened. That you may grow in the hope of Heaven, in the charity and love of Jesus. Ask Her to look up to Heaven as the Apostles did, above all in the hardships of life. Ask Her help to be detached from ever earthly thing that you may place your heart only in God and in your heavenly homeland. This will spur you towards labor, towards sacrifice, towards exactness in the fulfillment of your duties. It will fill you with that holy joy of which A Kempis spoke: Those who think of, and hope in, heaven cannot on this earth have one single moment of real sadness.
[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]
3. The Effects of the Ascension.
a) In Our Lady. Great joy, an immense satisfaction, such as only She, the Mother of the Saviour, could experience. A greater love for God on seeing the loving work of Redemption completed. How thankful would She feel towards God. But on the other side what sadness to find Herself deprived of Jesus! She would no longer live with Him. She would no longer receive His visits. How heavy was Her life going to be. What a long and unbearable exile! And this separation had to last for years and years. Always without that Son for whom She had so tenderly existed. Only a lover can appreciate this sacrifice of the Heavenly Mother. But She accepted it generously as She had once done in the Temple, as She had once done in Calvary. Once more thank Our Lady for this sacrifice done out of love for us.
b) In the Apostles. The effects on them were a great admiration and an immense joy. They did not grow tired of looking up to Heaven. This gave them joy and strength. How many times during their labors and sufferings would they look up to Heaven again and be comforted. Moreover, their faith grew in a great manner on seeing the glorious crowning of the life and death of their Master. They now realized at last what kind of Kingdom was His and where it was.
Their hope was equally strengthened through the promise of the sending of the Holy Spirit, and through the word pledged by Jesus of taking also them to that glory where He was going. Finally, their charity was also enlarged. Their love for their Master grew in their hearts. They now realized how much Jesus loved them.
c) Within Us. Ask Our Lady that something similar may happen to your heart. That your faith may be strengthened. That you may grow in the hope of Heaven, in the charity and love of Jesus. Ask Her to look up to Heaven as the Apostles did, above all in the hardships of life. Ask Her help to be detached from ever earthly thing that you may place your heart only in God and in your heavenly homeland. This will spur you towards labor, towards sacrifice, towards exactness in the fulfillment of your duties. It will fill you with that holy joy of which A Kempis spoke: Those who think of, and hope in, heaven cannot on this earth have one single moment of real sadness.
[Excerpted from 'MARIAN MEDITATIONS' Book by Rev. Dr. Ildefonso R. Villar, Salesian Philippine Province, Nihil Obstat; Imprimatur]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.