"She kept him constantly present in her mind and heart."

With the smallness and yet greatness of Mary now crowned Queen of heaven and earth... I am always in a state of wonder and beseeching that I may be as small and humble, yet totally filled with the knowledge and wonder of Him!  Yes, filled with Him as she was pregnant with the God of the Universe... carrying Him in her womb and bearing our salvation to the world!  How I would always love every minute of being pregnant, and knowing the wonder of the life that was within me!  To know that it was to be a great servant of God and LIGHT to the world... isn't that something that we all pray for as we are carrying this new life within us, and of course continue to pray for as they go forth into life and growing up in their faith?  But to know that it is the Savior of the world in this humble helpless infant for whom I am responsible for it's cares and education in the faith, feeding Him and clothing Him... As Fr Leonce de Grandmaison, S.J. (1972) writes today... "O Mary, introduce us into the spirit of Jesus.  You clothed him so many times when he was little, clothe us now in his tastes, his preferences, his wishes."

After making tons of pie filling - 35 quarts - and 100 qts of applesauce this year... there are still some picturesque apples for the blue jays this morning... It looks like it is decorated with glowing red balls in the sunlight preparing for Christmas! 

Continuing with Fr Grandmaison, S.J.

"Mary was the model of this life.  It is written of her that she "kept all these things carefully in her heart' (Lk 2:51).  That is to say, she meditated lovingly upon the mysteries of the childhood, the hidden and public life, the suffering and the glorious life of her Son.  To put it another way, she kept him constantly present in her mind and heart."  There is so much joy in doing this!  I admit that with all my decades of the rosary each day... I use it as a "real" way to pray for my children, husband, Godchildren, all those that have supported us in prayer, and families... when I am praying the mysteries... I flit back and forth to it briefly and then to the one or ones for which I am praying.  I often think how amazing it would be to totally focus on that mystery and stage in our Lord and Lady's lives and how deep you could go with that!  You could totally imerse yourself in the wonder of God, and His amazing Plan for our Salvation!  The rosary is so powerful and such a gift to us!  Mary will certainly lead us deep into her heart where she has stored all of the wonder and knowledge of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ!  I don't know about you, but I long to go there with her!

"The Gospel points to the fact that Mary lived a simple, ordinary life, outwardly deviod of grandeur.  This was fitting for one who was to be the model for all, not merely for a single class of people or a select few.  But this hidden life is the one we must lead under circumstances that demand it of us."  Fr de Grandmaison                      We look at Blessed Teresa for example.. such a public figure in her lifetime, yet so much a humble and ordinary person.  It is so mirculous that she could continue to be that in the face of all the publicity and accolades she received!  It is a lesson to us also... that no matter what the world says of us good or bad... that interiorly we need to say small and focused on Him and his dwelling within us... I think the thing about Blessed Teresa... what people truly were seeing in her was Christ!  His Light and Love for all the poor! 

"Mary is the guardian of our life hidden with Christ in God: because she is our Mother and will give us the confidence to dare to believe in the great and unbelievable friendship of our Lord and God; because through her we shall win victories over our faults and forgiveness for our sins that we would sometimes be too much ashamed to ask of our Lord; because we are profoundly devoted and consecrated to her, and our very wretchedness calls forth her great compassion and Mother's love."  Fr Leonce de Grandmaison, S.J. was a French theologian and Jesuit priest.   How wonderful it is to have a spiritual Mother!  WE feel much the same devotion and concern that she had.... filled with love for her Son, Christ Jesus!  She bears Him to us, and longs for us to "see with eyes of faith" and to "know" Him!   He longs to LOVE us and HEAL us and bring us to Eternal Life!  Jesus, we trust in you!

I found these angels years ago to represent my 6 losses... they just beckoned to be by their spiritual mother this morning with the beauty of the early morning sunlight behind her on the bare yet beautiful trees! 

Dearest Mother,
 We long to be held in your loving and forgiving arms and shown all the wonders of your Son, and His Heart burning with love for us! WE are weak and sinful and like the lost lamb... He is ever searching for us to rescue us.  You will scoop us up and take us to Him and then He will bind our wounds, heal us and take us into His fold... There in safety and security from the raging wolves, we will eat of the Eternal and Everlasting Food and gain strength... as well as fill ourselves with your Word of Life!  WE are filled to bursting, and long to go forth down our paths of life sharing you with all we come in contact with, but especially our families!  Jesus, we trust in you through the Immaculate Heart of Mary!  Amen and Halleluia!

Bless-bless, Barb

"Mary is our mother, the cause of our joy.  Being a mother, I have never had difficutly talking with Mary and feeling close to her."  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

"Reading the Gospel very carefully we realize that Mary, The Mother of God, did not give long speeches.  To praise God and thank him, she said this hymn:

'My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in thoughts of their hearts,

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

HE has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remeberance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

To Abraham and his decendants forever."  Luke 1:: 46-55