* Meditation by Bert Thelen, S.J.

T wo weeks ago the Church celebrated the feast of St. Ignatius Loyola who "invented" a new spirituality for lay persons (which we now call Ignatian) and founded the Society of Jesus. Ignatius had a passionate devotion to Mary, and in his Spiritual Exercises, he often urges retreatants to go to God not only through Jesus, but also through Mary. Ignatian spirituality is essentially biblical; we are invited to contemplate Jesus throughout his birth, life, teaching, miracles, suffering, death, and resurrection.  The first contemplation Ignatius recommends for the Resurrection is the appearance of Jesus to his Mother.

Ignatius acknowledges this first apparition of the Risen Lord is not mentioned in Scripture, but he goes on to say that common sense tells us it is so. I offer this contemplation as the best way to prepare to celebrate Mary's Assumption into heaven, which, in a way, is her own Resurrection.  Like her Son, she did not have to go through the corruption of the Body that all mortals go through at death.  Rather, she was taken body and soul into heaven, truly the first-fruits of Christ's own resurrection.  No wonder there are so many accounts of her appearing to people of simple faith!  Like her Son she has entered the Cosmos to be present to us in a new way.  Child of the Resurrection, she is able to intercede for us way-farers in a unique manner.

For our prayer on this great feast, I recommend we follow the contemplation Ignatius gives us. Imagine and put yourself into the scene of Jesus appearing to his blessed Mother in body and soul.  Enter into the intense consolation, the ecstatic joy of that unique encounter and ask, as Ignatius urges, "for grace to rejoice and be glad intensely at so great glory and joy" of both Mary and Jesus.  Delight in this scene and allow your own heart to be filled with longing for the fulness of life and love that is the promise of God for all those who follow the path that Jesus marked out for us in his life and teaching and death on the cross.  For "He revealed the Resurrection," as we say in one preface, "and won for God a Holy People."  We are the fulfillment of that promise!

A very helpful way to end our period of reflection and prayer could be to read the Magnificat in today's Gospel, imagining we are saying it with Mary as she experiences the glory of resurrected life!

S upplementary Reading

TRuTH oR HoAX

Do you believe this? – John 11:26

A wealthy businessman posted signs all over town: “If any man who owed debts would come to my office on this date between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, I will pay his debts.” For the townsfolk, it seemed too good to be true. They suspected that there had to be a catch somewhere. When the day came, the businessman sat in his office for an hour but no one came. At 11, there was a man walking to and fro outside his office. Later, he opened the door and asked, “Is it true that you will pay any man’s debt?”

“That’s right,” the businessman replied. “Are you in debt?” The man nodded. After reviewing the man’s document of indebtedness, the businessman issued a check covering the whole amount of the debt. Before noon, two other men came and had their debts paid. By the time the other townsfolk heard of the news, there was no more time left.

When Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise, she thought that Jesus was referring to the resurrection on the last day. It was probably unthinkable for her that a dead person could be raised back to life. But she got more than she bargained for.

Jesus is the Giver of Life and nothing is impossible to Him. Just believe. --Judith Concepcion  (Kerygma)

Editor’s Note: Ms. Judith Concepcion's article is reprinted from one of the Shepherd's Voice Publications, as published originally in the www.KerygmaFamily.com

R EFLECTION

Jesus has power over life and death. As believers, we have this assurance: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Do you believe?