Bronze relief on Apparition Hill
(c)Mary TV 2012
J.M.J.
January 18, 2013
Dear Family of Mary!
"Dear children! Today I invite you to decide to give time patiently for prayer. Little children, you cannot say you are mine and that you have experienced conversion through my messages if you are not ready to give time to God every day. I am close to you and I bless you all. Little children, do not forget that if you do not pray you are not close to me, nor are you close to the Holy Spirit who leads you along the path to holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call."(July 25, 1994)
Yesterday, at Holy Mass, I was sitting directly under a beautiful stained glass window depicting the Coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It is an old window that has been restored and mounted in a church in our town. It is very beautiful.
Our Lady is the central figure in the picture. She is standing surrounded by the apostles who are all looking at her. But her eyes are gazing upward, in rapt attention, as light pours down upon her from the Dove who hovers over her. Her face is very fair, almost translucent. She is receiving the light. Though every person has the flame signifying the reception of the Spirit, the apostles are seemingly in awe of Mary, who is so illumined! I was very impressed with this window.
In an instant I had the thought that Pentecost happened through Mary. The Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles, but through the intercession of Mary, their mother. And just as at the Annunciation, when Jesus was conceived through Mary's "yes", so the Church was conceived at Pentecost through Mary's "yes". It was as if the Spirit was flowing first into Mary, and then into the Apostles, through her. She was indispensable to the birth of the Church, even as she was indispensable to the birth of Jesus.
I don't know what the theology is. I always bow to the teachings of the Church. But it seems to ring true with tradition. Mary was definitely there at Pentecost. And she was praying with the Apostles. I think that she is the preferred destination of the Holy Spirit! She is sinless, and always open to His call.
At any rate, the thought came to me that I should be praying to receive the Holy Spirit every day, and to ask Mary to pray for me to receive Him, just as the Apostles received Him at Pentecost. As she tells us in the message above, through prayer we can be close to Our Lady, and so like the Apostles at Pentecost, we will be close to the Holy Spirit who is always with her. The Holy Spirit is necessary in these days. We cannot respond to God unless He comes to us to help us!
Here is a simple prayer written by Fr. Slavko Barbaric, calling upon the Holy Spirit through Our Lady. Let's pray it from our hearts!
O Holy Spirit, through Mary I choose You today as the Master of my whole being. With trust and Hope in Your endless love, which manifested itself so marvelously in Mary, I decide for Your gifts. I renounce every evil spirit and action, and accept You, Spirit of Light, Love, Peace and Order. I dedicate to You all my abilities and want to act in Your light. I surrender to You all rights over my life. Watch over me and lead me to the Father. I pray to You with Mary through Jesus Christ. Amen.
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
© Mary TV 2013
I will try to take a picture of it soon!
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