Passion and Grace

crucifix

As we celebrate the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us also embrace Mary our Blessed Mother who shares in the passion and grace that open the gates of Heaven to us. United with her Son in His work of our redemption, Mary is our refuge and Mother of Mercy.

Mary experienced firsthand the power of God’s love through the birth of Jesus Christ—the manifestation of God’s mercy for humanity. By the grace of God and with a loving heart, Mary accepted her role as mother of our Savior and all the sorrows—and ultimate joy— that would accompany her. As Simeon said when Mary and Joseph presented baby Jesus at the temple: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” [Luke 2:34-35].

Greatness of Love

With unconditional love, Mary, like her Son, endured great suffering for the salvation of the world. In the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, our Lady said to Sister Faustina, “Although I was raised to the dignity of Mother of God, seven swords of pain pierced my heart.” Just as Jesus could not have endured the pain of His Passion without the grace of God the Father and the love of His Mother, Mary could not have endured her pain without the grace of God and the love of her Son.

Mary and Jesus show that their love for us and our salvation is far greater than the sins that pierce like thorns. Truly, only through Jesus—who in His ultimate act of mercy said from His cross, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do,” [Luke 23:34]—can we receive forgiveness of our sins. However, Jesus gives us Mary to be our advocate and intercessor. Sharing in her Son’s passion on the road to Calvary and His crucifixion, Mary accepted her role as mother to us all with her heart open wide, despite her grief, so that the thoughts of many could be revealed.

Seek Salvation

Carrying on with our Lord’s mission of mercy, Mary welcomes sinners seeking salvation into her loving embrace and pleads their case before God. As dispenser of God’s graces, Mary helps those praying for redemption to be worthy of the promises of Christ. How else could we gain the courage and strength to fight the temptation of sin and to endure our own suffering in this world as we try to follow our Lord’s path to holiness and Heaven?

God so loved the world that He sent His Son through Mary not to condemn the world, but to save it. The life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ defeated death from sin, giving us the hope of eternal life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us renew our resolve to sin no more and to unite our hearts with Jesus and Mary in their passion and grace so that we may join them in God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

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1 thought on “Passion and Grace”

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