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The Assumption of Mary
Peter Paul Rubens, Oil on panel, 1626
Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium
“In Rubens' depiction of the Assumption of Mary, a choir of angels lifts her in a spiraling motion toward a burst of divine light. Around her tomb are gathered the 12 apostles — some with their arms raised in awe; others reaching to touch her discarded shroud. The women in the painting are thought to be Mary Magdalene and the Virgin Mary's two sisters. A kneeling woman holds a flower, referring to the lilies that miraculously filled the empty coffin.” (Wikipedia)
www.peterpaulrubens.net/assumption-of-t…
PLOGS BELOW (JML's Poetic Commentary)
Why have Faith? Why bother with Hope?
FAITH — complete trust or confidence in someone or something. “this restores one's faith in politicians"
2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
HOPE — a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. “he looked through her belongings in the hope of coming across some information"
2. a feeling of trust.
It’s safe to say that faith and hope have two totally unique definitions. I just walked around my studio building blessing each door and window by making the sign of the cross with Holy Water. My intentions in blessing the building are an act of faith and hope. This is an act of faith because I know that I am actively believing that God’s presence will come into the building with my prayers and the sacramental Holy Water. This is an act of hope because when I walk around the building I am able to see if things are out of place or if something electrical is broken or if there is water running. I hope to know in advance if there are going to be repairs that are needed. I have faith that God will be generously present in the building with grace, safety, and security for everyone coming and going. And— yes— I do trust God and I know God asks me to be diligent.
Why do bad things happen to good people? —is a favorite question whenever something “unwanted” happens. I’ll contend that learning and accepting life “as is” must be honed through experience over the course of life. We have to constantly learn to have faith and hope. During unfavorable circumstances it’s easy to lose sight of goals. When you’re working on a task that does not produce results in an hour or even a year or even ten years its difficult to see the progress being made.
Lots of people suggest making a gratitude list to activate happiness and satisfaction mentally. It’s the action of writing, seeing, saying what brings you joy will make you more joyful. Like wise, you can make a faith list and a hope list. Write down what you have faith in and why you have that faith. Write down what you have hopeful expectations for and write down all your trusting hopes. Doing this will help you stay in your present moment of life even with all the unwanted circumstances.
I have written this Plog post in Honor of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. There are seven mysteries in the Dolor Chaplet. These are the seven sorrows The Blessed Mother faced with faith and hope in her life. While typically this is a Catholic prayer, I have written the mysteries below because they are sorrowful mysteries everyone can relate to in life. The Blessed Mother Mary is very much a super hero of keeping faith and hope in a very hard life.
Be well— be safe— and I want to hear that everyone is making awesome journal entries.
XOXO! JML
Dolor Mysteries
PDF www.companionscross.org/sites/default/f…
The First Sword of Sorrow
Simeon announces the suffering
destiny of Jesus (Luke 2:34-35)
O Mother of Sorrows, how deeply your heart was pierced with sorrow when Simeon announced that Jesus, your beloved Child, was to be a sign that would be rejected. Your heart knew that He was to be the suffering Messiah the prophets had foretold, the man of sorrows, who would carry all our sins and heal us by His wounds. Through this bitter sorrow obtain for us the grace never to reject Jesus or refuse Him anything. Help us to completely surrender our lives to Him and to live according to His most holy will in everything.
The Second Sword of Sorrow
Mary escapes into Egypt with
Jesus and Joseph (Matt 2:13-15)
O Mother of Sorrows, what pain filled your heart as you fled your home and country knowing that the tyrant Herod was intent on murdering your little Child whom you loved above all else. The hardships of travel, the long journey, and life as a refugee was nothing compared to the torment of such demonic malice directed toward Jesus. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace never to risk the life of Jesus in our souls through deliberate sin.
The Third Sword of Sorrow
Mary seeks Jesus lost in
Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-51)
O Mother of Sorrows, what grief filled your heart as you and Joseph searched desperately for Jesus when you could not find Him among your relatives and friends returning home from Jerusalem. When your Son replied that He must be about His Father’s business, you accepted that He had begun the mission that would lead to His sacrificial death. The sorrow of those three days of separation prepared you for the three days of suffering you endured while His body lay lifeless in the tomb. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to accept the ways of Divine Providence even when we do not understand them.
The Fourth Sword of Sorrow
Mary meets Jesus as He carries
His Cross to Calvary (cf. Luke 23:26-31)
O Mother of Sorrows, how it must have wounded your tender maternal heart to see your beloved Son Jesus carrying His Cross to Calvary, the place of execution! How it must have pained you to see Him so bloodied, beaten, and reviled as He strained to fulfill His deepest desire: to give His life as a ransom for us. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Jesus with perseverance and love.
The Fifth Sword of Sorrow
Mary stands near the Cross of her
Son Jesus (John 19:25-27)
O Mother of Sorrows, here the prophecy of Simeon comes to its ultimate fulfillment: the sword of sorrow impales your heart as you stand beneath the Cross of your Son. Crucified spiritually with your crucified Son, you offered Him to the Father and united yourself completely to His self-offering and sacrificial death. We simply cannot fathom the pain of your offering or the depth of love that inspired it. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to unite all our sufferings to our crucified Lord with unselfish generosity and love.
The Sixth Sword of Sorrow
Mary receives into her arms
the body of Jesus taken down from
the Cross (cf. John 19:38)
O Mother of Sorrows, your heart was drowned in grief as you embraced the lifeless corpse of your Son. He who was your very life was now dead. Your light in this life was extinguished. Yet you accepted this sorrow with love knowing that it was all part of the Father’s plan of salvation. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to accept with patience and love the sorrows that befall us in this vale of tears, firmly believing that God works all things to the good for those who love Him.
The Seventh Sword of Sorrow
Mary helps place the body of Jesus
in the tomb (cf. John 19:39-42)
O Mother of Sorrows, who could express the cruel anguish of this moment? The same Child that you once wrapped in swaddling clothes amidst unspeakable joy, you now wrap silently in His burial shroud. Your tears mingle with the blood and dirt that covers His broken body. But even in this moment your trust in His promise did not die. Your mourning was not without hope, for you knew that He would rise again from this grave just as He promised. Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to believe with unshakable hope in the victory of our Lord even in the darkest moments of life.
Assumption of Mary
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_M…
Gratitude Journal
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratitude_journ…
Death Comes For The Archbishop
Willa Crather
eBook
ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/cather/willa/d…
LETS BRING PEACE EVERYDAY
Plog Post: Saturday, August 10, 2019