Sunday, October 25, 2009

Blessed Sunday

After seeing Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of The Christ my sister-in-law said to me that she was surprised with the way the movie went into depth on Mary's feelings, and she said that she had never really thought at all about how Mary must have felt, she never viewed the Passion of Christ through the eyes of His Mother. I told her that I was raised a Catholic and therefore I was raised on the Sorrowful Mother, and from the time we were very little we were taught of Mary's heartache, but even I never thought of her sorrow nor the Passion of Christ in such raw brutality as was depicted in Mel Gibson's film.

I think that being a mother transcends religious affiliation here. We can all feel Mary's anguish. Who of us did not rush to 'make it all better' for our children whenever we could? Who of us did not pray this prayer ~ "Please, God, let it be me instead. Let me be the sick one, let me be the one in pain, not my child, Dear Lord, please not my baby."?

I remember a nun once saying that Mary was so privileged to have been chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, and she also said that she thought that it must have been a solace to Mary during the Passion to know that this was the reason her Son was sent here to earth, and that she too was now fulfilling God's Plan for her and for all mankind, and what an honor it was for her to be such a big part of God's Plan.
Well, I do agree that it was a privilege that Mary was chosen by God, and I agree that it was an honor to have such an active part in God's Plan for mankind, but I also think there was a great burden that she carried seeing first hand the Suffering that God's Plan entailed for her Son. Also, I do not think there is any solace to be found in the fact that Mary was not able to pray the prayer that all mother's pray for their children, there can be no consolation in knowing that no amount of pleading would change God's Great Plan.

For Mary to not be able to take this suffering from her Holy Child, to have nothing of comfort to offer Jesus, no way to ease His pain, well, the trauma to her own soul must have been overwhelming, her heart must have been in shreds.

I never thought that anyone contemplating on Mary's pain was taking anything away from the Sacrifice of her Son, just as I think that contemplating on the Passion of Christ and all He Suffered for us takes nothing away from His Glorious Resurrection.


There are many times in my own sorrows as a mother that I take comfort knowing Mary understands my pain.









Yea, a sword shall pierce your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed ~ Luke 2:35

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY

12 comments:

  1. Wonder if this means you are back or that you just did another 'to be posted' post before you left...hmmm???

    Even though I did think about the Blessed Mother, I never took it down to my level and that has been my failure even with the whole familial side of Jesus...never thinking about the fact that he had grandparents and aunts and uncles and that they probably got together for Passover and other Jewish holidays.

    As a mother, it breaks my heart knowing what she went through and I can only hope that God gave her abundant grace to deal with the pain of that ordeal...she gave up her one Perfect Child to help the rest of us so imperfect children.

    Thank you for this thoughtful post, Eileen so well done!

    blessings and lots of hugs,

    marcy

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  2. Hi, I was just checking and am glad I did... so I was able to read this post. Welcome back (are you?)

    I feel what you feel about Mary. How painful it must have been for her. And that is why Mary is one of my favorite characters... how she treasured all these things in her heart. As a mother, I can only understand too well what you are saying.

    Looking forward to having you around blogworld again.

    Love
    Lidj

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  3. HI EILEEN-

    So nice to "see you"....I was deeply disturbed by the brutality in that movie - I cried and cried - and I know the anguish of not being able to take away my children's sorrow and pain. It is heart wrenching and agonizing. sigh..............
    Love to you
    Gail
    peace.....

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  4. Eileen, I remember whenI was watching the movie that God chose Mary knowing what she would endure as the mother of one that would be crucifiedd. Yet this was His plan from the beginning, and although she didn't know this when she gave birth to a baby boy, she somehow knew on that day. We, as mothers, don't know what we will face when we bring our baby home from the hospital, but we pray that our son or daughter will be a mighty servant for the Lord, always going where He leads them, always standing strong in their faith...and that's what Mary's Son did. I can't help but believe that in her heartwrenching agony, somehow she felt a sense of understanding that was indeed her Son's ultimate love of the one true God.

    I've read the bible many times, and my mind would imagine the lashings, the crown of thorns, the piercing of His hands and feet, but until the day that I saw this movie, I hadn't FELT it. I went back and read the verse that told us what happened to Him, and was appalled that I had read it with such ease...today, when I read it, I imagine something much different. When I talk about this with my grandgirls, I try to put it into word pictures they can understand..."Imagine that daddy loved you so much that he would make sure you could go on living, and the only way he could do that, he would have to die in your place...that is what Jesus did for all of us", and I think they understand...so many of us still don't, and we must continue letting them know how much they are loved, and that He died for them too.

    Wonderful post, Eileen, and so needed today in our world, where people are more lost than ever before. We need the Lord..there is no other way.

    Thank you so much, sweet friend, and so glad to see you posting...if you're still on break, and just felt compelled to post this, I'm so glad you did, and I look forward to your next visit...miss you!

    Mary

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  5. Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments and for sharing your thoughts on this subject. I appreciate it so much, and I appreciate the 'Welcome Back'!
    I've missed you all.
    I'm running out to Mass now and then on to the cemetery and then we're taking my Aunt out to dinner, but I'll be back later to visit everyone!
    And thanks to all of you have emailed me, I appreciate that so much too, and I'll be catching up on answering too.
    Love to you all!
    ~ Eileen

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  6. Welcome home my friend, hope you had a wonderful time.....you were missed.
    I cried almost entirely through The Passion of the Christ, I loved it and I hated it if that's possible....it was so true to the Bible. I think Mary always knew her son was chosen and the day would come, as a mother whose son has passed I often would cry out to her and pray as I felt she would understand my pain. Mary sometimes goes unrecognized in our world which is sad as we know how much Jesus loved his mother......:- Hugs

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  7. A post worth reading and re-reading.
    "The Passion of the Christ" was a movie that I watched without saying a word...a movie that I wouldn't have missed seeing...but couldn't see again. I tend to forget the agony our Lord (and His Mother went through..)but I know that He did it for me...and for everyone. Thank you for this post, Eileen. Love to you from Jackie

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  8. I thought 'The Passion of the Christ' was one of the most moving movies I have ever seen. I continue to watch it every year during the holy hours. Mary was such an inspiration to all of us. How she was able to deal with everything she went throughis beyond me. She carried her cross with such grace and dignity. In times of trouble I always think of Mary and then what ever I may going through doesn't seem so bad. Great post Eileen!

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  9. You brought up so many feelings about mothering. To be a mother is to know the greatest joys, and also the greatest sorrows. What pain is worse than having our child hurting? I once heard it said, "A mother can only be as happy as her most unhappy child." Lots of truth to that. Something our children do not understand until they become a parent.

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  10. I couldn't and haven't watched "The Passion of Christ. But I read your solemn post and share some of the sorrows that mothers throughout time have experienced. NONE compare with the suffering of Jesus - so no mother's heart will ever know the extent of Mary's....

    I, too, have missed you, Eileen. Enter gently back into the village. Treasure the joys you've experienced as you've been away. God bless you tonight in a special way.

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  11. So glad to see you are back Eileen, you were so missed. Our internet service has been out for 2 days here in a large area of Ohio...am trying to catch up with everyone myself. Glad the kids had a wonderful time in Florida! Hope to see some photos!

    Luv and Smiles,
    Wanda

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  12. Oh, Elieen, I couldn't agree with you more. I cannot fathom what Mary must have felt watching her eldest son, the child on whom so many hopes were pinned be brutalized and shamed by hanging on a cross. Cruxifiction was the worst form of death, and it was reserved for terrible criminals. To think that the sinless Lamb of God endured this for all of us is just almost incomprehensible. It makes my own heart ache for the Lord and for Mary's knowing what she endured. And to top it off, as the eldest son, Jesus was responsible for caring for his widowed mother, and his words to John as Jesus hung there in agony were for John to take care of Mary and for Mary to think on John as a son. They just tear at your heart even further. His concern was for his widowed mother. God has a heart for widows and orphans. The Bible is replete with examples of that, and Jesus obviously wanted to be sure his mother had someone to care for her. But it was interesting, too, that Jesus told Mary to think of John as her son. It makes me wonder if John were orphaned, too. There's no Bibilical reference to support that, but it still makes me wonder.

    When I think of God the Father, I get even sadder. This was his ONLY begotten son from whom He had never been separated, and to hear Jesus' words when he felt forsaken on that cross from the Father he loved, oh, that just does me in: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" Can you imagine how those words must tear at the heart of God the Father? I can't even type them without tears. And then when people spurn His son's sacrifice and free gift of salvation? How that must make God feel!

    I'm glad you blogged about this, Eileen, it's something we all need to contemplate. Thanks for this...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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