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"Dear children! Also today I am with you in a special way contemplating and living the passion of Jesus in my heart. Little children, open your hearts and give me everything that is in them: joys, sorrows and each, even the smallest pain that I may offer them to Jesus; so that with His immeasurable love He may burn and transform your sorrows into the joy of His resurrection. That is why I now call you in a special way, little children, for your hearts to open to prayer, so that through prayer you may become friends of Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call." (
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In this message from 1999 Our Lady invites us into her sorrowful heart which contemplates the Passion of Jesus. She so generously asks us to give her all our joys, sorrows and even the smallest pain, so that she can offer them to her Crucified Son. Jesus will then take those pain-filled gifts and transform them into the joy of His resurrected life. This is the incredible love of Our Lady and Our Lord. She thinks of us, as she meditates on Jesus' Passion. She desires to relieve us of our suffering, as she mediates on her own Son's great suffering. She sees Jesus dying because of our sins, and yet she wants us to become His friends! This is the love of the Mother! Jesus sees us from the Cross, as He suffers for us, and gives us His own Mother as our own! That is equally incredible!
Clearly Our Lady does not want us to approach Calvary in fear, shame, sadness or distress. She wants us to approach with trust, love, honesty and surrender. She wants us to give our burdens over to her Son, so that we can be healed. That is the mystery of the Cross. We are healed by Jesus' stripes. We are healed by the Mother's sorrow. They, together, have taken on the responsibility for our failures and sins. We can approach them with total abandonment.
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The Stabat Mater is a beautiful hymn which can help us approach Jesus and Mary, and behold their love.
Stabat Mater (The Mother was standing)
At the cross her station keeping,
Mary stood in sorrow weeping
When her Son was crucified.
While she waited in her anguish,
Seeing Christ in torment languish,
Bitter sorrow pierced her heart.
With what pain and desolation,
With what noble resignation,
Mary watched her dying Son.
Ever-patient in her yearning
Though her tear-filled eyes were burning,
Mary gazed upon her Son.
Who, that sorrow contemplating,
On that passion meditating,
Would not share the Virgin's grief?
Christ she saw, for our salvation,
Scourged with cruel acclamation,
Bruised and beaten by the rod.
Christ she saw with life-blood failing,
All her anguish unavailing,
Saw him breathe his very last.
Mary, fount of love's devotion,
Let me share with true emotion
All the sorrow you endured.
Virgin, ever interceding,
Hear me in my fervent pleading:
Fire me with your love of Christ.
Mother, may this prayer be granted:
That Christ's love may be implanted
In the depths of my poor soul.
At the cross, your sorrow sharing,
All your grief and torment bearing,
Let me stand and mourn with you.
Fairest maid of all creation,
Queen of hope and consolation,
Let me feel your grief sublime.
Virgin, in your love befriend me,
At the Judgment Day defend me.
Help me by your constant prayer.
Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers receive me
With the fruits of victory.
Virgin of all virgins blest!
Listen to my fond request:
Let me share your grief divine.
Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of your dying Son divine.
Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it has swooned
In His very Blood away.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awe-full judgment day.
Savior, when my life shall leave me,
Through your mother's prayers receive me
With the fruits of victory.
While my body here decays
May my soul your goodness praise,
Safe in heaven eternally. Amen Alleluia.
(The Collegeville Hymnal
Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1990.)
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2011
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