February 27
“God sends us joys before sorrows, to prepare our hearts; but the joys themselves contain prophesies of coming sorrows.”
- Father Frederick Faber
For Reflection:
Consider the main events of Mary’s life as recorded in Scripture up to this present dolor. They are the Annunciation, The Nativity, The Flight into Egypt, The Presentation, The Loss and Finding of Jesus in the Temple. What is the joy contained in each? What is the prophesy of the sorrow contained in each? For what was God preparing Mary’s heart? Do you think it could also be true that the sorrow also prepares our heart for greater joy? Why might this be the case?
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RM writes:
“I used to love the Long Island Medium show because Teresa Caputo seems so real, but my friends say she’s a phony who uses typical tricks to fool the audience into thinking she’s connecting with their deceased loved ones. Is this true?”
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February 26
“Reclothe oneself, within and without, with the virtues of the Immaculata: the theological virtues and the cardinal virtues, the moral and the religious, so as to become as it were 'another Mary living, speaking, and working.'”
-Father Stefano Manelli
For Reflection:
Reread Luke 2: 43-52. As you read, jot down the virtues you see in Mary or think would have been necessary for her in this suffering. In what ways do you think Mary lived these virtues prior to this dolor? Which of these virtues do you most need to emulate? How can practicing them now prepare you for potential trials the future may bring? Is there one you need to exhibit now? Ask Mary to procure the grace you need to do so.
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February 25
“We must refer everything to God. It is the secret of being holy.”
-Father Frederick Faber
For Reflection:
This simple quote contains a deep and provocative message. Why do you think referring everything to God is the secret of being holy? How do we see Mary referring the pain of the third dolor of her heart to the will of God? How do you seek to live the reality of this quote? What current circumstance in your life is God asking you to refer to Him? Ponder it in your heart and journal your insights.
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MK writes:
“My friends are really getting into aura reading and swear that it gives really accurate information about a person’s temperament and inner feelings. Is this true, and is it okay to have your aura read?”
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February 24
The Third Dolor: The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
During the time of Jesus, it was the custom for faithful Jews to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover. Nazareth, the home of the Holy Family, was approximately 60 miles away but the hilly topography added another 26 miles to the trip. Pilgrimages consisted of two groups – one comprised of men and the other of women. Children could travel with either. That is why it was not until evening that Mary and Joseph discovered Jesus was missing.
For Reflection:
Read Luke 2: 43-52. Imagine the panic Mary and Joseph must have felt when they discovered Jesus was missing and how it mounted as they searched for Him for three days. How does Mary’s interaction with Jesus at verse 48 show her concern? What word does she use to describe it? C. S. Lewis says that “Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” How does this quote apply to Our Lady at this moment? How does she demonstrate faith in spite of lack of understanding?
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"I bless Thee, O God, for having vouchsafed to make me a partaker in the Passion of Jesus Christ Thy Son, by rendering me worthy to offer myself as a sacrifice for Thy honor that I may be enabled to praise Thee in heaven, and to bless Thee for all eternity."
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February 23
“Living faith is the firm conviction that God exists, the acceptance – as truth – of all that has been revealed by God, and a loving readiness to be led by the divine will.”
-St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
For Reflection:
Mary and Joseph had “living faith” according to this definition – even being led to Egypt at the direction of an angel in a dream. On a scale of 1 to 10, one being “no faith at all” and 10 being “living faith” per the above quote, where are you? Where do you want to be? What can you do today to move you one step forward?
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February 22
Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle
“I am no longer my own. Whether I live or whether I die, I belong to my Savior. I have nothing of my own. God is my all, and my whole being is His.”
-St. Catherine of Genoa
For Reflection:
How do the saint’s sentiments of heart echo Our Lady’s? How does Mary exhibit this in the second dolor? In the first? To what extent can you make the same statement about yourself?
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February 20
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
My foes and my enemies
themselves stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war be waged upon me,
Even then will I trust…
For he will hide me in his abode
In the day of trouble;
He will conceal me in the shelter of his tent,
he will set me high upon a rock…
Wait for the Lord with courage;
be stout-hearted, and wait for the Lord.
For Reflection:
Meditate on Psalm 27 in light of the Flight into Egypt. Why would this psalm have been an apt prayer for Our Lady and St. Joseph from the time the angel bid them leave for Egypt until their return trip home? What parts of the psalm speak to you most deeply? What part would you most like to emulate?
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