​Yesterday Jesus, our Love, died for us. Today we might think of Him as dead in the tomb, and we'd be right to a point, but He is also, as always, very busy doing His Father's work. The liturgy, which seems so silent today with no Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, actually spills the beans in the 2nd reading of the Office of Readings for the Liturgy of the Hours, taken from an ancient homily for this day:

"What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly He goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; He wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, He who is God, and Adam's son.

The Lord goes in to them holding His victorious weapon, His cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees Him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.'

And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand He raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.'

‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.'

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of My hands, arise, you who were fashioned in My image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in Me and I in you, together We are one undivided person.'

‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.'

‘Look at the spittle on My face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on My cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to My own image.'

'See the scourging of My back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See My hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.'

`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced My side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; My sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; My sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.'

‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of Heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.'

'The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.'"

*   *   *

This is one of my favorite readings of the year, and helps make this a favorite day of the year. But God's love is infinite, and His treasures shine forth demanding more that one glance.  

Some time ago a dear fellow Carmelite, Brother Mark, sent me this poem by SIster Mary Ada, OSJ. God bless them both!

Limbo 

The ancient grayness shifted
Suddenly and thinned
Like mist upon the moors
Before a wind.
An old, old prophet lifted
A shining face and said:
"He will be coming soon.
The Son of God is dead; 
He died this afternoon."

A murmurous excitement stirred
All souls.
They wondered if they dreamed -
Save one old man who seemed
Not even to have heard.

And Moses standing 
Hushed them all to ask
If any had a welcome song prepared.
If not, would David take the task?
And if they cared
Could not the three young children sing
The Benedicite, the canticle of praise
They made when God kept them from perishing
In the fiery blaze?

A breath of spring surprised them,
Stilling Moses's words.
No one could speak remembering
The first fresh flowers,
The little singing birds.
Still others thought of fields new ploughed
Or apple trees
All blossom-boughed.
Or some, the way a dried bed fills
With water
Laughing down green hills.
The fisherfolk dreamed of the foam
On bright blue seas.
The one old man who had not stirred
Remembered home.


And there He was 
Splendid as the morning sun and fair
As only God is fair.
And they, confused with joy,
Knelt to adore
Seeing that He wore
Five crimson stars
He never had before.

No canticle at all was sung.
None 'toned a psalm, or raised a greeting song.
A silent man alone
Of all that throng
Found tongue -
Not any other.
Close to His heart
When the embrace was done,
Old Joseph said,
"How is Your Mother,
How is Your Mother, Son?"

*   *   *

Holy Saturday is Mary's day par excellence.

As Jesus told Marcel on Good Friday, 1946:

Remember, today is the day when I gave you to my Mother Mary so that you might be her true child; it is also the day when I gave Mary to you to be your true Mother. Finding myself in the presence of my Mother, I suffered with joy. At that moment, when all the creatures of the world seemed to have abandoned me, only my Mother remained to comfort me. Even God the Father seemed to wish no longer to look at me; but my Mother Mary did not cease to look at me until the time when I escaped from suffering. Oh! Little brother, Mary is your real Mother as well as mine. When she sees you suffer, she is closer to you to console you, for all time until you, too, will have escaped all suffering. Mary, you are the true Mother of Marcel, the real Mother of all souls; never be far from your children.

Marcel, Mary is your true Mother, and you are really her child. Always think of her; she understands you better than you understand yourself. She knows your sufferings, she is always close to you, carrying you unceasingly in her arms and covering you with kisses . . . 

Little brother, no matter how great your sufferings, always remind yourself that I, also, have suffered, but Mary has comforted Me. It will be the same for you. Mary will never abandon you in your suffering. Besides, when you suffer, it is she who suffers even more, since she is your Mother . . . 

+   +   +

So beautiful, but that was yesterday. Today, on the day Our Lady is seemingly alone in the silence that reigns on earth between her Son's death and resurrection, Jesus sends us to her again. He asks us the question He asked Marcel on Holy Saturday, 1946, and He gives us the same perfect advice: 

Today, little brother, have you thought yet of your Mother? What favor do you propose asking of her? Perhaps it is not necessary to ask her, since all that belongs to her already belongs to you. However it is not possible for you to receive her favors without giving her a big smile. That's how it is! See, Mary is looking at you and wishes to speak to you. Listen.

*   *   *

I hope you find Mary today, and rest assured that even if you're running around with last minute Easter preparations, she will find you. Yes, she has found you long ago, she loves you, she is always close to you, carrying you unceasingly in her arms and covering you with kisses . . . and she will take care of everything! So no more worrying about anything, any more, ever. The victory is with love, and Love has you safe and sound.

​Draw me; we will run!

Palm Sunday: 14 April 1946 (from Conversations with Jesus, Mary, and Therese of the Child Jesus)

Marcel: Little Jesus, I am very tired and I don't wish to write any more. And because of my extreme fatigue my hand is shaking a lot. Today, after returning from Mass, I had to go and work straight away; that is why I am very tired and have no further wish to write down Your words, little Jesus. Are You happy, nevertheless? I really would like to write but since I am too tired I can hardly hold my pen.

Jesus: Marcel, are you very tired? All right, that's enough, try to rest. I love you dearly little brother and I gladly allow you to rest. You will write again when you wish to do so However, although tired, do not be sad, agreed? Little brother, you are very sensitive; the slightest vexation causes you suffering. Offer all of it to Me. If you suffer in this way it is because of your weakness; do not trouble yourself about it since it does not offend me in any way. That's enough, take a rest. I am kissing you and I do not cease to hold you tightly in My arms, on Mary's bosom.

*   *   *

Jesus is full of surprises, or as He expressed it through the prophet Isaiah in the very words we heard last Sunday at Holy Mass (Isaiah 43: 18-19):

“Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing something new;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?"

His chosen apostles, prepared by the acclaim that greeted Him as they entered into Jerusalem on this day about 2000 years ago, surely did not expect - despite His predictions and warnings - that soon He would be tortured, crucified and then would die in order to save us and bring us into His true Kingdom, that of His own eternal life in the bosom of the Blessed Trinity.

But so too, I surely didn't expect, when I picked up Marcel's book this morning, to have the very reading I was looking for (that of Palm Sunday) fall open in my lap . . . and I was even more surprised to find what Marcel and Jesus had to say to each other. Not too surprising that I had forgotten this day's conversation, but I am mightily touched by the gentleness with which Jesus, not at all concerned to draw Marcel into a deep meditation on His Passion as Holy Week begins, instead reassures our little brother - and us through him - with exactly the words we need to hear.

I have reached the end of my major treatments for cancer, and I am so grateful for all the prayers! Thank you! The radiation oncologist and her wonderful staff (nurse and techs and even another terrific radiation oncologist I got to see) let me know I might feel fatigue this week, but praise God it is mild. Mostly, I'm feeling like Marcel does (not surprising, since I am Miss Marcel; or rather I am Miss Marcel because this coincidence of feelings happens often), namely weak. Not primarily weak in body, but weak in spirit, weak in love. 

I don't find myself in a hurry for Holy Week and Easter . . . and yet, again as happens so often, Jesus is there in Marcel's transcriptions, reassuring me with exactly the right words. If we're feeling tired because we didn't get enough sleep because we stayed up a little too late or woke too early or worked hard or simply because we are little ones and could always use more sleep, or even if we're well rested but a little hesitant about entering this Week of weeks . . . no matter what ails us, Jesus is here for us. He suffered so He could be with us who are already suffering, or would be, or will be or have been. It wasn't about making us suffer more, but joining us in this inevitable mess that has ensued from those early days of Adam and Eve. He's come down into the muck to join us, and so He reassures us that He loves us, and He uses whatever words He knows we will hear and understand.

A friend told me recently that her spiritual reading had been leaving her anxious. I've been in that situation, and sometimes just about all spiritual reading leaves me anxious because the anxiety I'm feeling when I begin my search for His words to me is just too great to be alleviated by the first words I find. Or the second or third!

In those times, even Marcel's words, even Jesus' words to us through Marcel can rub us the wrong way. That's when we depend on the Holy Spirit to take us to the unfailing words of Love, the words of the Song of Songs or those Jesus spoke to us on the night before He died (I go to John's gospel, chapters 14 to 17), and we find what we've been needing to assuage our pain, our unrest, our anxiety and vexation: our Good Shepherd, Him whose voice we know, calling us to His arms, lifting us to His bosom, reminding us that He will do the heavy lifting - even lifting us! - and our job is simply to rest in Him and let Him.

I was relieved and consoled that the Holy Spirit led me to exactly what we needed today so I could share the Father's Word with you:

"Offer all of it to Me. If you suffer in this way it is because of your weakness; do not trouble yourself about it since it does not offend me in any way. That's enough, take a rest. I am kissing you and I do not cease to hold you tightly in My arms, on Mary's bosom."

You are in my prayers this Holy Week. Thank you for loving Jesus! Now let's let Him love us.

Draw me; we will run!