- The Prophecy of Simeon
Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus went to the temple. Simeon, the prophet, inspired by the
Holy Spirit, met them and told Joseph and Mary of the great sufferings of Jesus and Mary.
He told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart. From that point on, Mary ever remembered
the prophecy of Simeon whenever she beheld her child. When she looked at His little body,
even as an infant, she knew He would suffer. Every time she clothed Him and watched Him at
play, her heart was torn in her chest as she knew what He would suffer. And a sword, too,
shall pierce your Heart, 0 Mary!
The Flight into Egypt
Joseph was told by the angel to flee. Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus had to flee because
of what might happen to Jesus. They had to pack for a long stay. The child Jesus was so
small! They left on their journey, hearts full of fear, trying to protect Jesus. They were
forced to flee into Egypt.
- Jesus Is Lost, In the Temple
Imagine the sufferings in Mary's heart when she realized the child Jesus was not with
them. Think of how it would be to lose your child and not know where he was or if anything
happened to him. With sorrow in their hearts, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to
look for the child Jesus. And a sword, too, shall pierce your heart, 0 Mary!
Jesus Carries His Cross
Song: See the eyes that look at Mary, her tender infant child. See the child's
Heart beat so tenderly, the Savior of the world!
See the eyes of Jesus and Mary as they met on Calvary. Mary's Heart knew Jesus' Heart so
well! From the first moment of conception and throughout His life, Mary was so connected
with Jesus and now she peered into His eyes. The crown of thorns adorned His Head! Blood
ran down His face! A heavy cross on His back! Wounded, His whole body covered with
bleeding wounds! And her whole life flashed before her, the life that she had spent with
Jesus. This was the beloved child that she had held in her arms when Simeon told Mary that
'a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!'
- Jesus Dies on the Cross
Mary stood under Jesus' cross as He was put to death. The child that she had held in
her arms as Simeon prophesied, And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary! Now
Jesus is dead on the cross! He gave His flesh, He gave His blood so that we might be with
Him forever in heaven. He held not back. He gave His all. He calls out to us this day to
see through the eyes of His mother as she appears and calls out with a Heart of great
love, "Return to the love of my Son! He is with you this day. He remains with you, no
less present than the day that He hung on the cross, in the Eucharist. He longs for you to
come and be with Him. He is in your brother. How can you not love your brother when Jesus
died for your brother?"
Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced with a lance. What came forth
was blood and water, the sacramental life of the church. He lives with us this day in the
Church. He gives to us His sacraments, the source of His life! He gives to us the
Sacrament of Penance whereby any sin that we commit can be taken away through the priest.
He wants us to be so close to Him! He gives us everything to be close to Him. But we see
with such limited vision only those things that are right before our face, when the true
reality is that which we don't see with our eyes, the reality of the invisible divinity of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the consecrated Host! This is reality! This is our life!
This is our power! This is God! And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!
Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
If we ever doubted for one second that we were loved, we could visualize the picture of
Mary as she sat beneath the cross with the lifeless, battered, bruised and bloodied body
of her Son in her arms, the same child that she held when Simeon prophesied her suffering.
He gave His last breath. He gave the last beat of His Heart. He gave His all! This is the
way He complied with the Will of the Father. He came to show us the way. He died in
perfect peace. To His death He was in peace because He knew the Father's love. The Father
loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for love of us! The Spirit descended
upon the Virgin Mary and the Word was made flesh! The love of the Two Hearts! Such immense
love beating for us!
In all love there is suffering. Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced
with a lance. And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!
- Jesus Is Locked in the Tomb
And now Jesus, His body lifeless, is locked in a tomb! What cold reality for Mary to
realize that His body is now gone! A stone separated her from her Son!
He gave His last breath! He gave the last beat of His Heart for love of each one of us!
And she comes to us this day with her sweet, beautiful voice and she asks us to go to her
Son and love Him! How can we refuse Jesus who spread His arms and gave His life for each
and every one of us? How can we not trust Him when He loved us so much that He allowed
them to tear His flesh, to crown Him with piercing thorns and, lastly, to hang Him on a
cross? He truly gave His life for us! He, truly God, is with us this day, the same as the
day He died on the cross, in the tabernacle! And we take it so lightly! Death has no power
over Him! Locked in the tomb for three days, He rose triumphant on the third day as He had
foretold. He comes to give us life. He gives us the sacrament of Baptism that initiates us
into His life, that makes us children of God and heirs of heaven if we remain in the state
of grace. He asks two things: love of God and love of one another! He came to show us the
way and His way is love. To His death on the cross He loved each one of us! He calls out
to each one of us here today to be His soldiers, to march on a world that has forgotten
God, that has forgotten what it is like to love! It is a battle to live in this world. But
the battle is won with hearts that are filled with His love, empowered by the grace and
might that He pours out in the Eucharist. He calls out for us to come to the Eucharist and
to the tabernacle and be fed with His very flesh and blood. To feed on Divine Life, the
greatest nourishment, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! This is the love
He gives. This is the love He asks us to share.
Copyright © 1996 Shepherds of Christ.