June 4, 2016

Immaculate Heart of Mary

"And his mother kept all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51)

It's a beautiful little line that St. Luke gives us, and it reminds us that Mary kept in her heart all the mysteries of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. And not just the mysteries about which we know something, like his birth in Bethlehem and his passion and death on the Cross, but also those aspects of Jesus' life that we cannot know, like what he was like as a boy, how it was to observe him working with St. Joseph, and all the other blessed details of a daily life lived with the Son of God.

When we think about this, we realize that Mary knows Jesus better than any other person who ever lived, or will ever live. This realization forms part of our motivation for turning to Mary in our desire to follow after Jesus. It is she who knows best him whom our hearts desire and whom we wish to follow.

Let us turn, then, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that place of safe-keeping and cherishing of all the mysteries of the Word of God made man in Jesus Christ. May she obtain for us the grace of knowing Jesus ever more fully and deeply, and may we too keep, protect, and cherish his presence in our own hearts.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Please pray for me that I might have a deeper love for this most beautiful of Mothers.

Brother Charles said...

I shall! Let us pray for each other!

Louis M said...

An absolutely beautiful reflection, Father!
Blessed Mother pray for us!

Unknown said...

Last week I went to mercy doors Holy Cross Cathedral Boston. Went through mercy doors, Holy Mass, Confession. The next thing I know in the main church they wheeled in a body in a casket followed by a bunch of priests and nuns. I went to the back of the church. I asked a random priest what the mans name is in the casket. He said why? I said because I gave him my plenary indulgence. The priest wept. His name is Padre Julio Lopresti 47 visiting from Italy. Died of heart attack. Had chest pain. The priest who wept said thank you. He is my best friend of 20 years and we were ordained together. The priest just stood and wept. And now I have a saint in heaven named Padre Julio Lopresti. I Love God. He' was a capuchin from Italy. Visiting Boston. His body was being flown back to Argentina. His homeland.

Brother Charles said...

@Jane Thanks for the beautiful comment! How generous of you to offer your indulgence in that way. These are the wonderful things we can do for each other in our communion as a Communion of Saints!