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"My
soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." - Luke
1:46-47
Mary
Knows How to Rejoice
We
speak often of Our Lady's sorrows. Seven of them. The prophecy of Simeon, the
flight into Egypt, the three-day loss of Jesus in the Temple, the road to
Calvary, the Crucifixion, the descent from the Cross, and the burial. There is
a whole devotion built around walking with Mary through her grief and her sorrow,
and it is spiritually rich, emotionally deep, and very holy.
The
Church also remembers Mary’s joys, and today we celebrate them.
The
Seven Joys of Our Lady, a devotion that emerged in the eleventh century, traces
the arc of gladness in Mary's life: The Annunciation, when Gabriel greeted her
as full of grace. The Visitation, when Elizabeth's child leapt in the womb. The
Nativity, when she held God in her arms for the first time. The Adoration of
the Magi. The Finding of Jesus in the Temple. The Resurrection. And finally, the
Assumption and Mary’s Coronation in heaven.
Together, they tell us something important: Sorrow and joy are never far from each other
in a fully lived life, but joy always has the final word. Mary knew grief that
would break most of us. She also knew the gladness that the angels themselves
marveled at. Mary is not only the Sorrowful Mother, but she is also the woman
who sang the Magnificat.
Mary
knows how to rejoice.
Today's
Gospel - John 15:9-11
Jesus
said: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. I
have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be
complete."
His
Joy is complete, in all circumstances, 100% complete.
Our
Lady received that joy in full. She is living it now in heaven, crowned and
radiant, every sorrow transformed and every tear answered. The Seven Joys of
Our Lady are not a denial of suffering; they are the proof that suffering is
not the last chapter of our lives.
When
we meditate on Mary’s Joys, we are preparing for our own.
A Prayer
Our
Lady of Seven Joys, teach us to rejoice.
We
have learned to carry sorrow. Teach us to carry gladness with the same grace.
Teach us to find you not only in the hard moments but in the beautiful ones, in
the face of someone we love, in our answered prayer, in an ordinary morning
when grace shows up unexpectedly.
You
sang the Magnificat. Sing it in us. Let our souls unite with yours to magnify
the Lord today, not because everything is easy, but because you have shown us where
all things lead to: Jesus.
Our
Lady of Seven Joys, pray for us. Amen.
Reflection
Jesus
said His joy in us would be complete.
When
did you last allow yourself to experience joy as a spiritual act, as something that
God wants for you, not something you need to earn? What is that one joy Our
Lady would want you to notice and receive today?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
