Spiritual Orientation

BEHOLD MARY, THE MOTHER OF LIFE


The Testament of Jesus is very clear. In John's Gospel is written:   

»But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household."« (Jn 19:25-27).

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, is entrusted to Mary the mother of Jesus. And John incorporates - as one might translate literally - the Mother of God within himself. Of course, with “John”, not only is the former fisherman's son meant; rather, we are all addressed, for all of us who believe in Christ, should take heed of the last words of Jesus and incorporate Mary in our lives and profoundly learn from Mary what it means to follow Jesus.  

Because indeed: Mary is our paragon in the Faith. Not for nothing is she welcomed by her cousin Elizabeth with the words: “Blessed is she who has believed” (Lk 1:45). To her, the great believer, do we render thanks and our petitions. We are grateful to receive her from the hands of Jesus, as our mother; and we ask her, always anew, to be our advocata nostra – our intercessor/advocate, as stated in the Salve Regina. And we can be certain that Mary looks at us, after all, this is indeed her job, according to the words of Jesus as he died: “Woman, behold thy son”! Mary looks at us. She takes us under her mantle of protection. She teaches us to fight the "good fight of faith" (cf. 1 Tim 6:12). She is the "Victor in all the battles of God" (Pius XII.) and shows us the way to heaven.

The 6th World Prayer Congress for Life, which will take place this year in Vienna, Austria, on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the “Life Center” (Pregnancy Resource Center) of Vienna, has made this Marian program its own: Looking to Mary, as Jesus has instructed us, in order to contemplate Jesus - with her, in her and through her.  This is the way of life. How could it be otherwise: Since Mary, who gave birth to our Savior, is the Mother of Life and as such she wants her children to live – to truly live.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church cites the Dogmatic Constitution of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen gentium, and expresses it as follows (CCC 494): 

As St. Irenaeus says, "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race" St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 22, 4). Hence not a few of the early Fathers gladly assert. . .: "The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith" (St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 3, 22, 4) Comparing her with Eve, they call Mary "the Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death through Eve, life through Mary" (LG 56).

1. ThursdayFiat mihi – Be it done unto me according to your word

From the beginning, Mary is the one who follows Christ. Christ, the eternal WORD – her entire life belongs to him. Mary has never, even in the least, resisted the word.  She is the only person who perfectly obeyed.

Looking at Mary, we perceive: the Word is first of all received. And this Word always proves to be life-giving. Therefore, it is only logical, that Mary be invoked as Mater vitae, Mother of Life. 

 

      2. Friday – Stabat Mater – His mother stood at the cross of Jesus

Mary obeyed, even when her worst hour came, the hour of the mother at the cross. It had been prophesied to her: and a sword will pierce even your own soul (Luke 2:35). But how does one do this: To love and to suffer, without giving up? How have the saints lived-out this taking up of the cross? On this second day of the congress, we shall follow Mary to the Cross. With her, we desire to understand more deeply what it means to accept suffering in a spirit of atonement and thus make it fruitful.

      The spiritual center of this day is the Mass of Atonement in the afternoon, during which, international congress participants representing all the nations of the world will take part in a ceremony whereby they will symbolically hand over all the sins against life committed world-wide – and lay them at the foot of the cross, in the triumphant hope that Christ, in His sacrifice on the cross will grant forgiveness, redemption and a fresh start to today’s, so seriously ill world. 

      3. Saturday – Benedicta tu – Blessed are you

»Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb..« This was the greeting of Elizabeth to her cousin Mary during the famous Visitation scene. And since then, this greeting has never faded. Blessed are you - so have believers throughout the generations prayed and sung throughout the centuries.

Saturday is traditionally observed as dedicated to the Mother of God; Saturday recalls Mary's unbreakable faith even in the night of Holy Saturday.

On this third day of the congress, we wish to attend the school of Mary, to better learn how to pray and worship. The position of Mary in salvation history should light up and make clear - her continual, loving education and her continual care – the care of a mother. Without this continuous care of Mary, is the Protection of life unthinkable.

Congress participants themselves respond to the affection of Mary so that they will wish to consecrate to Mary all of their intercessions regarding the protection of life at an evening candlelight procession.

The subsequent Celebration of Life will present touching testimonies, as to how Mary helps and works worldwide to guard the precious gift of life.

 

 

4. Sunday – Magnificat – My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

Sunday: Dies Domini. The Lord’s Day. Day of the Resurrection. We gather together with Mary in the Upper Room and praise the greatness of the Lord. In the Church Maria vom Siege (Mary of Victory) we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, on this day, which is also the Feast of the Holy Rosary, and herewith obey Jesus’ commission »on his own, in the face of a godless world: Do this in memory of me!«

We proclaim Christ’s victory, and »this proclamation is both a making present, is a taking of the victory of Christ through those whom He has taken to Himself; and as such ordered towards the fulfillment of the victory on the last day - until he comes« (H. Spaemann).