All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
In his account of Pentecost, Saint Luke tells us that Jesus' mother Mary was there, along with his brothers. Artists have often described that amazing moment and they invariably place Mary in the center of the room, amid the Apostles. Hearing her name we immediately remember that the Holy Spirit came upon her in Galilee, and she was overshadowed by the power of the Most High. By the mention of her name we know that the same Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' disciples, and the same Power of the Most High God hovered over them as tongues of flame. The inspired Mother of Jesus has become the inspired Mother of the Church.
In that verse about Mary and his brothers, Saint Luke reminds us they "devoted themselves with one accord to prayer." The first thing the Church does upon gathering is pray. It's the last thing we do before dispersing.
In 2002 Pope Saint John Paul II invited representatives from many world religions to Assisi to pray for peace. This was a closed door session; the press was not invited. The small gathering comprised Christians, (Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant), Jews, Muslims, Native Americans (North, Central, South), Buddhists, Hindus, etc. The men and women greeted one another cordially; they were pleased to be invited by the Roman pontiff, and acutely aware of the power of prayer to affect peace. When the moment came, all agreed they could not precisely pray together. Christians can pray only in the name of Jesus; Catholics pray only in communion with Jesus, Mary and all the saints. To expect other groups to bow to Catholic customs would seriously violate the virtue of hospitality. But ignoring or denying the presence of Mary and the saints would be disingenuous. And so each group offered their prayers while the others listened in respectful silence. They experienced both solidarity and difference with appropriate ritual.
Learning of this ceremony reminded me of my essential identity as a Catholic and as a priest. Our sacraments and devotions gather people of every nation and every century into the Body of Christ, who in his turn escorts us into the Presence of God. A priestly people, with our Eucharist we present ourselves at Calvary and through that narrow gate enter the Heavenly Temple. We would violate our calling and covenant were we to pretend we're not a priestly people, and our religion is just one among many.
As we celebrate today's memorial we thank God for the gift of the Rosary, a devotion which places us in the Presence of Mary, the Mother of God. Reciting the Hail Mary and Our Father and Glory Be, we invite God to go with us daily, and to make us a Holy People in a world that so needs God's presence.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.