"Risen Lamb Writings"

"Whispers of Light" (part 10)

          Mary is forever associated with "the fullness of time", the particular moment in salvation history when the Father sent Jesus into the world through her to be our ransom from sin and death. In this fullness of time, Jesus and Mary fully embraced the Father's will, fully cooperated, and freely and fully consented to what the Father asked of them. Jesus is the only Son of God and our saving victim. Mary is his Mother and unique co-sufferer. There was a unified suffering and purpose shared between them.

          Mary is also forever associated with the "hour" of the offering of the Lamb on the altar of the cross: The hour of supreme love, the hour of superlative sacrifice. Calvary is both the "source and summit" of Mary's seven swords of sorrow, and the further fulfilling of Luke 1:38 for her in this life. At the wedding feast of Cana, Jesus tells Mary, "My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4). On Calvary, when his hour had arrived, Mary shared it with him. The hour of the Lamb is also the hour of the "woman". As Adam and Eve shared in the same forbidden fruit, the "New Adam" and "New Eve" shared in the same sword. Together, they united in a shared suffering at the dramatic "hour" of Calvary. There, what Jesus suffered in his body Mary suffered in her heart. She desires to unite intercessors to her "hour" --her willful, loving participation in the offering of the Lamb.

          As Jesus labored on the cross for the new creation, Mary experienced the labor pains in her heart. Adam and Eve were partners, willing collaborators, in the birth of sin. On Calvary the New Adam and New Eve were partners in putting sin to death, and in the birthing of new life. Standing by the altar of the cross, Mary, who had given birth to Jesus without the pains of childbirth, was to endure the greatest of pains in bringing forth the Church to new life (see Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary,vol. 1; P12, p. 121):

"Mary intensely and mysteriously united her life with Christ's sorrowful mission. She was to become her Son's faithful co-worker for the salvation of the human race" (John Paul II. General audience, Dec. 18, 1996).

Until the time of Calvary, Mary was the Mother of Jesus. On Golgotha she received a new motherhood as well: "Mother of the Church". This new revelation of her true identity was made known to Mary in the midst of great suffering. On Calvary she gave up the body of Jesus, and received the "New Mystical Body" of her Son. On Calvary there was a visible death in humanity and an invisible new life in the birth of the Mystical Body of Christ. This offers intercessors insight into the connection between heart piercings and spiritual parenting. Mary's swords of sorrow help to form and mature an intercessor's heart to "hold" and pray for many peoples and situations. 

          The song writer asks the question, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" No one--not John the beloved, nor the other women who were present on Golgotha--can answer this question as affirmatively as Mary can. For, she was present on Calvary as Mother of Jesus and as the New Eve, the woman. As intercessors we collaborate in salvation by our prayer and sacrifice after the event of Calvary has already taken place. Mary's involvement was quite different:

"She cooperated during the event itself...She also was associated in this way with the redemptive sacrifice that merited the salvation of all...In union with Christ and in submission to him, she collaborated in obtaining the grace of salvation of all humanity" (John Paul II. General Audience of April 9, 1997; p. 185-186).

Mary's participation in our redemption is "a unique and unrepeatable fact" (JP II. Ibid; p. 186); "She was inside the same suffering. She was the first of those who "share Christ's suffering" (Rom. 8:17)" (Mary Mirror of the Church. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa; p. 100). Mary is at the very center of the offering of the Lamb. She desires to take intercessors, formed in her heart, "inside" the mystery of the cross.

Questions:

1)   What aspect of my life needs to be brought into deeper conformity with the heart of the "woman"?

2)   Where do I need growth in my ability to 'spiritually parent' others?

Scriptures:

Any scripture from the text; John 12:27; John 17:1; John 19:26-27; Rev. 12: 1-2