Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise,
for from you arose the sun of justice, Christ our God.
GENESIS 3:9-15,20 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Adam and Eve were created sinless. Each day God walked with them in the cool of the evening and they delighted in His Presence, their gaze fixed with wonder and awe at the Creator. Once they sinned, however, their attention shifted to themselves and they discovered to their shame that they were naked.
Sin makes us morbid, and self-centered, and leads to despair. But if we have a childlike trust in Your infinite goodness and mercy we will run to You, confess our sins, beg for forgiveness and You will restore all we had lost through our sins. No matter how often we sin or how grave they may be, Your mercy is always far greater.
When we sin we must humbly confess them, ''Through my fault, through my fault, through my own grievous fault' rather than looking for a scapegoat like Adam and Eve did when questioned:
‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
There are always consequences to sin, without exception and the price of sin is eternal separation from God. Thanks be to God, our Father and Creator, You willingly offered Yourself as the Divine Scapegoat. You took our place as the Lamb of Sacrifice. You offered Yourself mute and uncomplaining and made atonement for our sins. This was only possible because the New Eve consented to give You Your Body. Through the Incarnation in her Virginal womb, You took on flesh, and in the flesh, You died and rose again so we may die to sin with You and rise again in glory through the power of Your Resurrection.
God promised us a New Eve, she was to be the Mother of the Son of God and the Mother of all the children of God who are grafted to Him.
PSALM 86(87) ©
My Soul's Beloved,
The one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church is the City of God, it is here that the Holy Spirit dwells in fullness. In her are also the fullness of Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. You O Lord, are the Head of Your Holy Church and since the Church is Your Body, Your Mother is Mother of the Church as well.
We thank You for the privilege of being members of Your Body through the Sacraments You instituted and receive grace upon grace. Your Father is our Father as well. We are the children of God just as You are the Son of God and for Your Sake, unworthy though we are, we are made heirs and sharers of Your glory and Your Kingdom.
Thank You, Lord.
JOHN 19:25-34 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
Today the Church celebrates Your Mother as the Mother of the Church which was formed from Your pierced side: ‘For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the “wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.’ As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam’s side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross.” CCC766
At the foot of the Cross was the New Eve on the Cross was the New Adam and from an impossible situation our God does the impossible. Before You gave up Your Spirit You entrusted us to Your Mother and Your Mother to us. Just as the disciple You loved made a place for her in his home so too do we make a home for her in our own homes and in our lives, but she is given a preeminent place and role in the Church after God.
After You had fulfilled everything perfectly according to Scripture and the will of the Father, You cried out, 'I AM thirsty.' You were aware that despite all the atrocities You suffered at the hands of sinful men many would still choose to refuse the salvation that was won at so great a price. You drank to its dregs the cup of suffering and died.
St. John tells us, When the soldiers came to break Your legs as they had done with the other two men who were crucified with You, they found You were already dead, and so instead of breaking Your legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water, unaware that yet another prophecy was fulfilled. Thank You, Beloved, of the Life-giving Eucharist which is Your Body and Blood. You died so I could live. Thank You.
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