Dec. 31, 2023 – Vigil Mass
As we begin this new year, Jesus gives us anew His Mother to help us in our journey.
Key Points
- Many saints have sensed the call to entrust themselves to our Blessed Mother.
- We should not fear that she will distract us from Jesus.
- Her only desire is to help lead us to Him.
- She helps us receive and fulfill the Will of the Father.
- Let us welcome her as a gift from Jesus.
This is a computer-generated transcription that has been included to make the homily searchable. It has not been verified by the author.
“Mary kept all these things and reflected on them in her heart.” We gather for once again on New Year’s Eve. And we started this 23 years ago, 22 years ago. And some of you were with us when we started that 22 years ago. And so we’ve centered, the Church, God’s providence, calls us to this, to begin this New Years, and with this great feast of Mary, the Mother of God. And it might seem that those two things don’t go together; that is all the events in our world, all the what we read in the newspapers, which is so often terrible, terrible things, and the beauty and peace, of the motherhood of Mary, which is very beautiful, but it seems so far from all that’s happening in our world. And so I think it’s helpful to remember, and this is kind of a continuation of what I was saying this morning, that it was precisely at the cross, at that darkest moment, that moment of extreme pain that our Lord was living, it was precisely at that moment, that there was something that was so important, so supremely important, that he needed to do it, even in the midst of all that He was suffering, and which was to entrust John, to our Blessed Mother. And as I said, in John, it was each one of us, who has been entrusted to her, or each one of his beloved disciples who has been entrusted to her, and asking her to, and asking John to receive her as, as truly His mother. And so it’s precisely at the cross in all the suffering and all the struggles and all the storms, and all the pain that we can be going through, as we live our own cross in the cross of humanity today. It is precisely at that time that Jesus gives us our Blessed Mother, not as some beautiful, beautiful, but impractical, image, or fairy tale. But as a mother, the mother who helped Him accomplish the mission, which was the mission which saves the world, and the mother who has given to us to help us in our mission, and especially in the most difficult parts of our mission, to help us so that we also can live with Jesus and Mary, the joys that they want us to experience and sorrows of this world and share forever in their glory. And so I want to share with you tonight, a little meditation from a mystic; this was from a few years ago, and as if it’s our Blessed Mother herself, who was speaking to you. And I mentioned this morning that Jesus Himself gives us the example by becoming a little child of our Blessed Mother. And so He Himself gives us the example, if we’re called to follow Jesus, practically, the first thing He did was to become the little child who entrusted Himself to who in a sense, surrenders Himself to our Blessed Mother, and in a way beyond any other human person, because He, as God is freely choosing this path. And so this is what so many saints have expressed when they speak of the act of a Marian consecration; that like our Blessed Mother herself asked for, at Fatima consecration to her Immaculate Heart, and a great saints like St. Louis de Montford have expressed it so deeply have meditated and thought, this grace and a great saint, that we have his image here, St. John Paul, who also was a modern example of living this spirit of consecration to the Lord through our Blessed Mother. days is Papal Motto, “totos tos,” totally yours, was an expression of that, of that spirit of the Marian consecration. And so in this meditation that we’ll be listening to tonight, one of the things she addresses at first is the fear that people can have that are devotion to Our Blessed Mother, authentic devotion to Our Blessed Mother could distract us from Jesus. And, then especially in focus, she focuses on the helping us to do the will of the Father. And that’s, you know, that’s something we come back to so much here at the Mission of Divine Mercy because it’s at the very core of Jesus mission, and the primary teachers, thy will be done doing the will of the Father. And so she is not an obstacle to doing the will of the Father, she is the great help, to help us live the will of the Father. Think, think of a little child, there’s nothing more practical for a little child, a little baby with all the needs that a baby has, physical needs, but also the needs of its heart. With all the needs of a little baby, there’s nothing more practical for the little baby than to have a loving, a loving and wise mother. And so this is tonight, what we’re, what we’re talking about is not some pretty, pretty little extra, that’s added on to that the core necessities of life, but it’s really at the very heart of what we as little children of God need to accomplish our mission. So I’ll read this meditation; if you want, feel free to close your eyes. “I am your mother. I am the refuge of all my children, the hiding place, the Secret Garden, where you are safe from the enemy. And where you are sure to always find Jesus. My heart is in His and His heart is in mine. So united that they become one heart, one heartbeat. Let no one have any qualms about confining themselves to me for fear that I will distract them from our Jesus. Little children, only He lives in me. There is nothing in me but Him. I am full of Him. Like a precious glass that collects within itself the sweetest and most exquisite nectar and offers it to you for your delight and healing. I belong completely to God. I am like a chest of pure gold, where you can keep yourselves for Jesus. Everything you put in my heart is safe, guarded, protected for my Jesus. That is why I asked you to give me everything so that everything is safe for Him. This is how He wanted to share it with you, the divine dwelling that He had. My heart, my love, my being He shares everything with you, my little ones, even this intimate dwelling, where He has always rested and been able to act at His ease. In me you always find the fragrance of God, His light, gently dim to be adapted to your sight. I am so happy when you surrender to Me and decide to dwell in my heart. Because then I can put the seal, my name on you and thus keep you safe for Jesus, close to me to form you in faith and humility and then total docility to the will of the Father. In me you can discern and see clearly the will of the Father, of our Abba. The world surrounds you in mist, confusions and is difficult to see clearly with clarity, that beautiful will of the Father and that is why so many misunderstand it, lose sight of it. But in me the air is clean, clear and His rule shines without hindrance. You can look at it and receive it and the beauty of its fullness. I am the perfect work of the Father. In me His will has always been supreme. It has always been like a precious jewel, full of splendor. That is why I invite you to enter my garden, the sanctuary of my heart and contemplate in me the holy, perfect most loving will of the Father, the will of the Father, for His little ones, how much tenderness there is for you, my little ones, do not be afraid of His will. It is always the will of love. Even if it is difficult, even if it seems to be our total destruction in suffering, it is always a will of love, the greatest good for the soul. When you surrender to me, I help you receive and fulfill His will. My help is effective, because I know what it means to obey this will in everything, at every moment of life. Entering into me is salvation. Because in me, you will find the fullness of the redemption carried out by my Jesus. In me, you find the fullness of the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Me, you find the fullness of the Father’s love, and His desire to have all of His children reunited for all eternity. I am like the great storehouse, and which you find everything necessary to be able to fulfill the will of the Father. My little ones, come to me sure that I will always carry you in my arms to Jesus. I am the safest means to reach Him. I give you my mother’s blessing. And I am glad that you entrust yourselves to me. You are mine. And everything that belongs to me, belongs to Jesus. I love you, and I bless you.” So our Lord shares with us His mother. But each of us is free. Each of us has the freedom to accept her or not to accept her. The more we accept, the more we entrust ourselves to her, the more she can help us. And so at the beginning of this new year, it’s an opportunity for ourselves to entrust ourselves to entrust all the intentions of our heart, all the needs of our Church and our world to the Lord through our Blessed Mother. And so, to end let us just pray slowly, the Hail Mary, together. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God. Pray for us. Now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
KEYWORDS / PHRASES:
Luke 2:16-21