The Holy Spirit and the Annunciation

I try to begin every day with a Bible reading.  After discovering a wonderful Bible study a few years ago called The Great Adventure, I finally began to grasp what Salvation History really means.  I realize now the critical importance of becoming more familiar with both the Old and New Testament.

Before I start my reading, I always pray to the Holy Spirit to help me know, understand and live the Word of God.  I am often amazed when the selection I'm reading brings me insight, inspiration.or understanding.

The Holy Spirit is probably the most difficult of the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity to comprehend.  He is depicted as a dove (Matthew 3:16), as the wind (Acts 2:2), as a cloud (Mark 9:7) or as tongues of fire (Acts 2:3).  Since I am no theologian, I direct you to this link for a very thorough teaching on the Holy Spirit.  (I refer to the Holy Spirit as "He" although there is no gender associated with a being who is pure spirit.  It would definitely be a mistake to refer to the Holy Spirit as "she," as you'll see below.)

The most important role, in my mind at least, of the Holy Spirit is His presence in the First Joyful Mystery, The Annunciation.  He is revealed rather subtly in the opening words of this scene when the Angel Gabriel greets Mary with the words, "Hail, full of grace." (Luke 1:28)  Since the Holy Spirit is the Giver of Grace, He has prepared Mary from conception to be the Mother of God (CCC 721)  Then He "overshadows" Mary and the "Word is made flesh." (John 1:14). 

Stop for a moment and reflect upon this scene.  The Holy Spirit has become the Divine Spouse of the Blessed Virgin.  Clearly not a "she" then.  This union is not a sexual one, but a great mystery.  Another Catholic truth that shines forth here is Mary's perpetual virginity.  As the spouse of the Holy Spirit, she could never enter into an intimate relationship with a mere human.  One more point to ponder:  At the beginning of the scene, Mary is "full of grace".  At the end, the Holy Spirit, Giver of Grace, has overshadowed her and God Incarnate enters her womb.  Now, Mary is literally overflowing with grace. 

Since today is Monday, the traditional day to pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, take some time to reflect on the First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation, and the role of the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother.

As we approach the day of Pentecost, the great feast of the Holy Spirit, make a resolution to learn more about this Third Person of the Holy Trinity.  The links in this post will lead to more information, or try these:
Catholic Culture article on the Holy Spirit and Mary  (Search the library of this excellent site for more articles)
EWTN article (Also, many more articles on this site)

Indulge in some Divine Mercy

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday, a feast I look forward to every year.  It is a fairly recent addition to the Church calendar, and is still unfamiliar to many. 

I first came across the Divine Mercy image (one version, at left) years ago while waiting in line for Confession in a new parish.  I studied the painting, thinking to myself, "Now THAT is a painting of Jesus that I could hang in my living room!"  I liked the kind, serene expression on His face, and I was fascinated by the two rays of light emanating from His heart.  I thought perhaps it was a new version of the Sacred Heart devotion.

It would be another two years before I discovered the devotion associated with the painting.  During the homily that day, Father K stated that we were celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday.  (Huh?)  I was a cradle Catholic and attended Catholic school until college.  I had never heard of such a feast.  I sat up straighter, eager to hear more.  Fr. K continued his explanation, mentioning St. Faustina (who?) and that there was a plenary indulgence (what?) associated with the feast.  He explained that a plenary indulgence takes away all sin as well as all the punishment due to sin.  (Really!)  Since the detailed explanation of plenary indulgences is a rather technical, I'll let the folks at EWTN in the link above explain it to you. 

Since one of the requirements for a plenary indulgence is to go to Confession, I hung around after Mass, hoping for a chance to ask Fr. K to hear mine.  In fact, after that homily, I expected everyone to line up and beg him to open the Confessional immediately. Who could turn down such an opportunity?  The congregation, apparently unmoved by the homily, went on their way; and I lost the courage to ask Fr. K for an off-hours Confession.  I guess I would have to wait for next year for that plenary indulgence... I went home and marked my calendar for Divine Mercy Sunday the following year. 

In the interim, I bought a book on St. Faustina and learned more about the Divine Mercy devotion.  I started praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which uses the Rosary beads to mark the prayers imploring Jesus to convert sinners.  I taught my children the simple "Three O'Clock Prayer" that is especially powerful when prayed between the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 pm, the "Hour of Divine Mercy".

I also learned that year that I need not wait until the next Divine Mercy Sunday to gain a plenary indulgence.  A friend gave me a copy of a wonderful little book called The Pieta Prayer Book.  It includes a variety of beautiful prayers whose devout recitation can give plenary or partial indulgences.

You can gain indulgences by praying the Rosary.  Learn more at the website for the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.  While you're there, perhaps you'll be inspired to join this organization, which traces its roots to St. Dominic, the "Rosary Saint".

Make EVERY Friday Good!

If you're like most Catholics, you're probably thinking, "Thank goodness Lent is over!  Now I can eat a hamburger on Friday!"  Well, you're only partly correct. 

Before Vatican II, Catholics had to abstain from meat on every Friday of the year.  This was a form of penance to honor Good Friday, the day Our Lord died for our sins.  In 1966, however, the US Bishops Conference requested and obtained permission for American Catholics to substitute another form of penance on Fridays outside of Lent.  (See this link for more info.) The requirement for Friday penance didn't disappear, but was simply modified so that US Catholics could find a more personal way to honor Jesus' ultimate sacrifice.  Unfortunately, the change was viewed by most as a relief from the "burden" of having to think about what they ate on Friday.

With Lent and Good Friday still fresh in our thoughts, why not make a commitment to honor EVERY Friday with some sort of sacrifice or good deed?  If you want to eat that hamburger, go ahead.  Just find some other way to make a small sacrifice on this day that Jesus suffered and died for you.  Penance is good for the soul.  It is pleasing to God, helps us practice virtue, win grace, and leads us to be more Christ-like in our everyday lives.

Here are a few ideas:

• Abstain from meat, continuing the habit you formed during Lent
• Attend daily Mass on Friday
• Pray the Stations of the Cross, either in a church or privately
• Pray the Rosary for the intention of someone who is suffering
• Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, especially at 3:00 p.m.
• Spend some time praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament
• Fast and pray
• Donate food or clothing to the poor
• Visit a nursing home, prison or hospital

If you have children, include them in this practice.  Even though Canon Law does not apply to children under 14, parents are encouraged to educate their children in the importance of penance and self-sacrifice.  Perhaps you can pray a Friday evening family Rosary, read from a children's Bible, donate money to charity, or serve only meatless dishes.

Note:  The rules of penance and abstinence do not apply if Friday is a  feast day, such as Christmas, the Feast of the Assumption, your local parish feast day, etc.

Are you curious about the photo posted on this entry?  It's a "crucifix fish"!   Actually, it's the skeleton of the sailcat catfish.  I came across the image while searching for a photo that included both a crucifix and a fish symbol  The legend associated with this unusual creature is quite fascinating.

The Transfiguration, Part 5 (and a bit of Rosary history)

Today is Thursday, the one day of the week dedicated to praying the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.  (See my blog archive for more information.)  Of course, you can pray them on any day of the week, and some people find the time to pray and meditate upon all 20 mysteries of the Rosary! 

The Luminous Mysteries, or Mysteries of Light, are the most recent addition to the modern Rosary and were introduced by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae.

Even though the Luminous Mysteries are relatively new to us, a study of the rich history of the Rosary reveals that at one time there were 150 mysteries!  Ancient monks and clergy memorized, studied and meditated upon the150 Psalms of the Old Testament and their fulfillment in Jesus and His Blessed Mother in the gospels.  As a sort of "short cut" to reciting all the Psalms from memory, they would occasionally recite 150 Our Fathers while meditating on the Psalms and the gospels.  To keep track of their prayers, they used a string of 150 knots or beads called a paternoster.  (Paternoster is the Latin title of the Our Father.)  Later, another tradition evolved using 150 repeated Ave's (an early version of the Hail Mary).  Eventually, this devotion lead to our modern-day Rosary.

An interesting side note is that the advent of the printing press is one of the primary reasons that the number of mysteries was reduced from 150 to 15.  "Picture Rosaries" were printed to distribute to the common people, many of whom were illiterate.  Since it was too expensive to print 150 different gospel scenes, 15 of the most important were chosen.  Thus, the 15 traditional Mysteries of the Rosary-- 5 Joyful, 5 Sorrowful, and 5 Glorious.

Today I want to finish my earlier reflections on the fourth Luminous Mystery, The Transfiguration.  Parts 1-4 of the series are found below or in the archives.  (Luke's version is here.)  The key point of this event can be found in the words spoken by the "voice in the cloud" (God the Father):  "This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him."  The emphasis would be on the word "HIM" meaning that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, represented by Moses ("The Law") and Elijah ("The Prophets").  Notice that these two disappear and Jesus is left alone.  Now we understand why Peter "did not know what he was saying." 

The scene of the Transfiguration also marks the second time that the Holy Trinity appears together:  God the Father (voice from the cloud), God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit (represented by the cloud).  The first appearance of the Holy Trinity is at the Baptism of Jesus (the first Luminous Mystery).  Notice how the words of the Father are similar:  "This is my Beloved Son with whom I am well pleased."

The story of the Transfiguration and the history of the Rosary tie in beautifully with today's Gospel reading. Jesus has just appeared to His Apostles for the first time since His death on the cross.  His first words are "Peace be with you," as they must have been terrified and awe-struck.  After showing His wounds and eating a meal (His glorified body is real!), he says:

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."

Like the ancient monks with their paternosters, we can study, meditate and reflect on the Mysteries of the Rosary so that we too can "open our minds to understand the Scriptures".

Read more about the history of the Rosary in my book, The Rosary Workout

Hearts Burning Within Us

I had to teach an indoor cycling class at my gym today as a sub for one of my friends.  Although I'd love to lead a Rosary Workout cycling class, it just wasn't the right time and place. 

Since I was unable to pray the Rosary during my workout, I played my Latin Rosary CD in the car.  As I listened to the soothing voice of Fr. Perez, I reflected again on the first Glorious Mystery, the Resurrection. 

I recalled today's Gospel reading about the familiar story of The Road to Emmaus on the eve of Easter Sunday.  Although I've read or heard it many times, I came across an interesting perspective of this event through fellow Canticle writer, Theresa Doyle-Nelson.  She writes about the icon pictured above, by modern-day artist Sister Marie-Paul Farran.  Notice that one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus is a woman!  Read about this fascinating interpretation here and the full article on Theresa's website here (scroll down about halfway).

Of course, the gender of the disciples is not the important lesson in this story.  I love how Jesus pretends that He has no clue about the world-changing impact of His own Resurrection.  Instead, He lets the two disciples tell Him what happened.  Luke adds irony in their final words, "...but Him they did not see."  Jesus, still unrecognizable, berates the pair for their foolishness and reveals to them the hidden meanings in the Scriptures they knew so well.  The two hang on every word, but do not recognize Him until the breaking of the bread at the meal they share later.  After He disappears, the disciples reflect on the impact of His words:  "Were not our hearts burning within us...?"

I pondered how my heart burns within me at times when I read or listen to a Bible reading, a Gospel or a homily and hear exactly the words from Scripture that call out to me, answering a problem or revealing a truth I had not considered.  I also thought of the times when "Him I did not see," especially in the people whom I dislike or try to avoid.  Finally, I reflected on the importance of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and how "He is made know to [us] in the breaking of the bread."

The Missing Mary at the Tomb

Today was a beautiful, sunny day and I decided to go for a run outside for the first time in ages.  The winter in my new home at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains has been unusually harsh, so most of my workouts have been indoors.  I view running on the treadmill as more penance than joy, so I looked forward to getting some sun on my face as I ran and prayed the Rosary.

Since it's the Octave of Easter, I decided to pray and reflect on the Glorious Mysteries while I ran.  As I meditated on the First Glorious Mystery, The Resurrection, I thought of the women at the tomb.  All four gospels place Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, and the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) add Mary, the mother of James.  The obvious missing Mary is Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Not one of the gospel writers tells us about the reunion of the risen Lord and His beloved Mother.  Yet, it must have happened.  I can't imagine that Jesus would not make a private appearance to the person who followed Him on the long road to Calvary, wept at the foot of the cross, and held Him lovingly in her arms before His burial.  Mary, of all people, must have trusted in the Resurrection.  She was without stain of sin and knew the Scriptures and their foretelling of the triumph after the suffering. 

As I finished my run (2 miles, at least this time...), I walked slowly back to my car, thinking about the reunion of Mother and Son and praying for an increase in my own faith.

Little Flowers for the Risen Lord

Happy Easter!  He is Risen!  He is Alive!  Alleluia!

Last year, in a different state and parish, I was honored to be a leader for a local Little Flowers Girls' Club group.  Each year, we study nine different virtues and nine Catholic female saints who embody these virtues.  Our primary model is the Blessed Mother, and the club gets its name from its patron, St. Therese of Lisieux, also known as "The Little Flower".

The girls earn special badges for each virtue, which are sewn into a flower shape on blue sashes.  I wanted to honor the girls' accomplishments in a special ceremony at Mass, so I approached our pastor, Father X  about the idea.  (He enthusiastincally supported our club and even funded it through the parish.)  Father X suggested that the ceremony take place on Easter Sunday, but I hesitated, thinking that such a special feast should not be "shared" with another ceremony, but Father X insisted that it take place on Easter.

I prayed about how to incorporate a badge ceremony with Easter Sunday, and recalled a book I had read about Mary.  The author wrote of the importance of women at the tomb of the risen Lord and how their bringing the good news of the Resurrection to the Apostles was a reversal of Eve bringing sin to Adam.  I incorporated that revelation into the script, which follows:

Good morning and Happy Easter! I’m Peggy Bowes, and I’m the leader of the XXX chapter of the Little Flowers Girls’ Club. We began the Club two years ago with five girls, and this year we have grown to 15. Today we will perform a badge ceremony to recognize the efforts of these young ladies as they learn about their Catholic faith, heritage and traditions while forming lasting friendships.


Our aim is not to overshadow the importance of this Holy Day, but to show how our young members are learning to become more Christ-like through the imitation of His beloved Mother.

The presence of women at the tomb of the risen Lord on the first Easter Sunday is documented in all four gospels. According to the early Church Fathers, their presence goes all the way back to Eve in the book of Genesis:

In the Garden of Eden, a woman (Eve) was witness to the downfall and death of the human race. However, on the day of the Resurrection, the women at the empty tomb of Jesus witness the New Life granted to the human race.

As Little Flowers, we strive to imitate the virtues modeled by Our Blessed Mother, our patroness, St. Therese of Lisieux, and the various women saints we study each meeting. We hope that more young girls in our parish will join us next year. I’ll let a few of the girls summarize what we have studied this year.


1st girl:
We have spent the last six months studying and practicing six virtues. As we learn about each virtue, we also learn about a female saint who modeled that virtue. We earn badges through prayer, study and works of charity. The badges are shaped like petals and form a flower for each year of the program. Our sashes are blue to help us remember the example of Mary, and we have earned our patches through prayer, study and works of charity. The flowers in our hair and the candles we carried in represent the virtues we have studied.


2nd girl:
The first virtue we studied was Faith, represented by the lily. We learned about the Apostle of Mercy, St. Faustina, and Divine Mercy Sunday, which we celebrate next week. Then we studied Joy and St. Claire of Assisi, represented by the tulip. We all earned a St. Claire medal by making over 100 Christmas cards for the female prisoners in the local prison.


3rd girl:
Our next virtue was courage, represented by the yucca flower. We learned about Blessed Margaret Pole who was martyred for her faith. Then we studied Generosity and St. Katherine Drexel. The daisy reminds us to be generous, and we modeled that virtue by making Valentines and passing them out to the residents of a local nursing home.


4th girl:
The last two virtues are Prudence and Wisdom. St. Angela Merici is our model for Prudence, which is represented by the violet. We learned of the Wisdom of St. Theresa Benedicta, and the irises help us to remember to be wise. We will study three more virtues this year: Justice, Loyalty, and Perseverance.
 

The girls executed the ceremony perfectly!  After Mass, at Father X's suggestion, the girls handed out little badges that pictured the virtues in a flower shape.  We received many compliments on the ceremony, and I think that we enhanced, rather than detracted from, the Easter celebration.