On this lovely feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, I encourage you, if you haven’t already done so, to foster within yourself a relationship with Our Lady as a child to a mother. After all, she truly is your heavenly mother. As you pray, think of her as gazing lovingly upon on you, her child. Look into her eyes.
In a mother’s eyes, we find who we are – precious, unique and unrepeatable – not based on any accomplishments or lack thereof, but as who we are – her own child, dear to her heart.
This is Our Blessed Mother Mary’s gaze toward us her beloved. We are her ‘inheritance,’ given to he by her Son the cross on Calvary’s hill.
In her eyes, I see a mirror that reflects to me, not only my loveableness and the fullness God has in mind for me, but also my weakness and humanness…the very qualities that attract her compassionate care, and the love of the Divine Mercy.
In her tender gaze, I am consoled when in sadness, loneliness and failure, and I experience her gentle urgings to go forward with courage, and trust in God’s never failing grace.
Through the gentle compassion of her eyes, wounds are soothed, comfort is given for life’s’ sorrows and disappointments, anxieties and past painful experiences are converted and transformed into points of light and grace that infuse a wisdom and perspective that only God can give.
Today and often, pray over and take as spoken to you personally, Mary’s words at Guadalupe, to Saint Juan Diego, and you will find profound peace in her arms.
“Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you or disturb you.”
The Happy Fault
God could have created a perfect world. He could have arranged things so as to prevent us from falling into the pit by our sinful, despicable actions. He’s all powerful, after all. This would have been so easy for God. But that’s not how He decided to do things.
