Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Title

According to the flesh or Spirit?

Outline

An immaculate heart still needs a proper orientation to know truth

When we moved to England my wife assumed we spoke English - good heart, wrong knowledge

There are many examples, but the first, right off the plane was coming to the house where we would stay the first night. There were lovely flowers in front of the house and along its walkways. “Oh, your yard is beautiful!” exclaimed Judy. “You mean my garden,” replied Edna, who then explained that a yard is a paved area and so in English that would be a backhanded insult. Edna, however, knew enough American to realize the good intent.

We know the story of the young Jesus left behind in the Temple well enough

We realize that he is 12, a man, if a young man, expected to participate in his father’s business

He is independent enough traveling with others in the caravan would not have been surprising

The surprise comes when he is not there for dinner and the search becomes a hurried trip back to Jerusalem

Mary probably thought, “This is not like Jesus. Could something have happened to him.”

On the third day from their initial departure from Jerusalem they found him acting as a mature Jewish man, and not only that, but as one with deep understanding. Were they so used to him that they had not noticed this growing understanding? Or did they not have the minds to grasp it so he did not express it? Or had he stepped into a precocious but appropriate role for a man now he was 12? Whatever the case, they had thought well of him on a human level, but he was functioning on another level.

When they confront him, he calmly replied, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (or my Father’s business” literally, “In the things of my Father”)

In other words, “if you had taken the perspective that I am a man and who my Father is, you would have known exactly where to find me.” Or, to put it another way, “You immaculate heart needs to shift gears from child to man.”

It was a bit too much of a shift for them, and so Jesus just went with them as the son he had been, for he had planted the seed and realized that for now he ought to continue to live on the “natural” level.

Does this have any message for us?

First, the most purely devoted sinless heart can only attain to higher levels of experience, to the spiritual, by divine enlightenment given in divine timing. Mary would get it later and at the right time would follow Jesus around, for her heart was right - immaculate - and all that was needed was God’s timing and call. Until then she was mother caring for the men in her life and pondering how this all came about. St Teresa of Avila understood this principle.

Second, we too need the divine enlightenment so that “from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer.” We move from teacher to eschatological Lord. The former is not wrong, but the latter is that to which God will move us. And that will give us a new perspective on everything. But this should not surprise us, for we are one in heart with the Blessed Virgin, not with the world.

Third, while meeting on the human level is the first step of ecumenism, as Pope Francis says, we need to realize that once God has given us the fuller revelation, the eschatological perspective, it is ultimately not just a matter of our coming down to the human level, for that could corrupt us, but of their coming to full reconciliation - even if it is at God’s initiative and in God’s time. In other words, if our heart has been made like the Blessed Virgin’s, now with fuller enlightenment (full enlightenment will not come until like her we are with God), we call those whose hearts are open to being like her’s to that enlightenment rather than compromising our hearts to be like them. And we are very patient and very much in prayer.

Let those who have ears, hear.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 6-12-2021: Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

FIRST READING

2 Corinthians 5:14–21

14 For the love of Christ impels us, once we have come to the conviction that one died for all; therefore, all have died. 15 He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16 Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. 17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

RESPONSE

Psalm 103:8a

8 Merciful and gracious is the LORD,

slow to anger, abounding in mercy.

PSALM

Psalm 103:1–4, 9–12

1 Of David.

Bless the LORD, my soul;

all my being, bless his holy name!

2 Bless the LORD, my soul;

and do not forget all his gifts,

3 Who pardons all your sins,

and heals all your ills,

4 Who redeems your life from the pit,

and crowns you with mercy and compassion,

9 He will not always accuse,

and nurses no lasting anger;

10 He has not dealt with us as our sins merit,

nor requited us as our wrongs deserve.

11 For as the heavens tower over the earth,

so his mercy towers over those who fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our sins from us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

(Proper)

Luke 2:19

19 And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.

GOSPEL

(Proper)

Luke 2:41–51

41 Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42 and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43 After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47 and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 6-12-2021: Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 2021 | MEMORIAL

IMMACULATE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Saturday following the second Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel for this memorial is proper.

YEARS 1 & 2 | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

From Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

First Reading 2 Corinthians 5:14–21

Response Psalm 103:8a

Psalm Psalm 103:1–4, 9–12

Gospel Acclamation Luke 2:19 (Proper)

Gospel Luke 2:41–51 (Proper)

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