"Let us adore Christ, the Savior of the world, who called his mother to share in his passion" - the Invitatory Antiphon for today. Regarding which OOR Reading 2 from St Bernard says, "Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son." And a bit further on, "Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit." Somewhere she is called something like Protomartyr.
How can I read such things and not think about my own mother? Hers was great suffering; and hers great blessing ... from which yours truly is given such blessing in turn.
You know, I've really been so very, very grateful for the Office of Readings these past few weeks.
The First Reading almost inevitably contains so much lamentation and bitterness and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that little Charles Delacroix feels not nearly so alone as at times.
The Second Reading has been so good for me as well. St Gregory's Commentary on The Beatitudes has formed much of the material here over the past few weeks. Commenting on The Beatitudes means in part celebrating Blessings like "Blessed are the Sorrowful" and "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit" ... which certainly speak to my heart and my felt condition.
Last Saturday was the Birth of Mary (Sept 8); yesterday was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Most Holy Cross; and today was the Feast of O.L. of Sorrows. All these speak to my heart so much in this time of desolation and pain.
Don't get me wrong I do feel generally better. Still that sense of emptiness, of "futilitatis", of hopeless future ... all really assail me throughout the day. I move and do this or that during the day but not because of any felt sense of Hope but because that's just what we do.
Oh well. Thank you Lord for helping me move forward with baby step whether I feel like it or not.
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