1st January - Solemnity of the Mother of God

As I reflected today on the idea of New Year’s Day, what came to me was an image of a DOOR – something similar to a door opening into a beautiful Castle or an old Country Home or the magnificent Concert Hall in Vienna where the Concert was held this morning viewed on T.V. – a world of wonder, beauty and art at its best.

So starting a New Year is something like that today and in the days ahead. We are opening a door on a whole new world – a world of joys and sorrows, surprises, and disappointments etc.

In the bigger world out there, there are huge Financial problems like the Fiscal Cliff the United States is facing at the moment – here at home in Ireland the aftermath of the Austerity Budget, new taxes, house tax, water tax, car tax increase and insurance also, cuts in children’s allowance and in Carer’s allowance, etc. All very real and very difficult for many or most families. So with all these pre-occupations, it is important that we look at the very deepest part of ourselves as we move into the unknown space of this New Year of 2013.

As I said above, the image that came to me was the door and I thought of that famous and most beautiful picture of Holman Hunt’s' painting of “The Light of the World”. It is the ideal picture to view at the beginning of the year – the time when we are called and invited to open our door, and step forward into a new meeting with Christ.

When this picture was first shown to the public, the Artist’s attention was drawn to a serious flaw. There was no handle on the door. This was very deliberate because it represented the reality. The door is the door of the human heart and there is no handle on the outside. Jesus cannot enter unless I open the door and invite Him in. “I stand at the door and knock and if anyone opens the door I will come in and sit down and share his meal” (Rev.3:20).

The Feast we celebrate today – Mary, the Mother of God, is a great example and model for all of us to open up to the Lord and let Him in. As St. Bernard so beautifully put it in a homily – “Open, O Blessed Virgin, your heart to faith – open your lips to speak – open your bosom to your Maker – Behold the desired of all nations is outside knocking at your Door” and Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word”. If only I, and indeed all of us, could imitate Mary and say the same and live it for the coming year.

Because Mary said ‘Yes’ we now have Jesus with us, among us, one of us, as God made man. He is in us at all times to help us each day of 2013, if only we call on Him.

The beautiful lines of Louise Haskins, which many of us are familiar with, says this more beautifully than ever I could:

And I said to the man

who stood at the gate of the year

“Give me a light

that I may tread safely

into the unknown”

And he replied,

“Go out into the darkness and

put your hand into the hand of God.

That will be to you better than light,

And safer than a known way”.

So I went forth

and found the hand of God,

and trod gladly into the light.

He led me toward the hills

And the breaking of the day

in the East.

So heart, be still!

What need our life to know

If God hath comprehension?

In all the dizzy strife of things

both high and low,

God hideth his intention.

We ask Mary, our Mother in one of the Collects for today’s Feast to intercede for us:

Father, source of light in every age,
the virgin conceived and bore your Son
who is called Wonderful God, Prince of peace.
May her prayer, the gift of a mother’s love,
be your people’s joy through all ages.
May her response, born of a humble heart,
draw your Spirit to rest on your people.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Mary's sorrows

Recently one of our sisters wrote this beautiful icon of 'The Mother of Hard Hearts' under the guidance of Icon Master Mihai Cucu. while attending an icon course hosted by the Redemptoristine community in Drumcondra.

The Mother of Hard Hearts is one of the few icon types where the Mother is shown without the Child. It is a relatively recent development in Orthodox iconography and reveals evidence of the increasing influence of Western religious painting and concepts. This iconographic type represents Mary's meditation on the Passion of her Son and has its origins in the Western representations of the Mother of Seven Sorrows, in turn inspired by the words of Simeon to Mary during the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple ..."and a sword shall pierce thy heart" (Lk 2:55).

The seven swords in the icon each designate one of the following sorrows:
- the prophecy of Simeon
- the flight into Egypt
- the Boy Jesus leavng his parents to visit the Temple in Jerusalem
- the Mother of God's meeting her Son on the Via Dolorosa
- the Crucifixion of Christ
- the deposition from the Cross
- the Entombment of Jesus

During the coming weeks you will find on our web-site meditations on each of these sorrows of Mary - from this link- (also found on top left of this page)

Mary's month

Traditionally the month of May is know as 'Mary's month'. Today the 8th May the Dominican family honours her under the title of Patroness of our Order.

There is a lovely story told by Sr Cecilia (one of the first Dominican nuns of the monastery of San Sisto, Rome) who knew Dominic personally:

Once while Dominic was praying he was caught up in spirit before God and saw the Lord and the Blessed Virgin sitting at His right. It seemed to Blessed Dominic that Our Lady was wearing a cloak the colour of saphire.

As Blessed Dominic looked around, he could see religious of all the orders but his own before the throne of God. He began to weep bitterly and stood apart, not daring to approach the Lord and His Mother. Then Our Lady motioned for him to come near. But he would not dare, until the Lord Himself also called him.

Blessed Dominic cast himself down before them weeping bitterly. The Lord told him to rise and when he did, asked him "Why are your weeping so?" "I am weeping because I see all the other orders here but no sign of my own." The Lord said to him "Do you want to see your Order?" and he answered "Yes, Lord" Then the Blessed Virgin opended the cloak she was wearing and spread it out before Blessed Dominic to whom it seemed vast enough to cover the entire heaven, and under it he saw a large multitude of the brethren.

Then prostrating himself, Blessed Dominic gave thanks to God and to Blessed Mary His Mother, After that the vision disappeared and he came to himself just as the bell rang for Matins. When Matins were over, he called the brethren and gave them a long and beautiful talk, exhorting them to love and pay reverence to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The fact that this same story is related by many other religious Orders in relation to the their own founders, should not lead us to ignore the story or cast it aside as a 'fairy tale'. Rather these stories and legends convey a truth about Mary's loving care and protection for each of ther children - and it is this which we celebrate and for which we give thanks today.

We invite you to visit the reflections page of our website - reflection on the "Pondering Mother of God".