NBVM Novena Day 10: Mary and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The last day, Day 10 of the celebration of our Blessed Virgin Mary came to a closure with the theme Mary and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Through this journey of celebration for the past 10 days, we were able to walk with Mary and recollect some of her significant roles that has led us in many ways to follow Christ and make him the centre of our lives.
The theme highlights the crucifixion of Christ and at the point of His death, Mary stood with Jesus alongside John. As mentioned in John 19:26-27, Fr Dom reads “He tells his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and then tells the disciple, ‘Here is your mother’. From that moment on, the disciple takes Mary into his own home.” Fr Dom explains that the salvation of Jesus’s death on the cross gave us eternal life and that without it there is no meaning in life.
Referring to the context of the scripture, shows Jesus’s tender care for his mother giving her to the care of His beloved disciple John, providing her with a new son. This illustrates the importance of family and Jesus signifies that his mother is to be the spiritual mother of all who believe. Mary begin her mission of faith, courageous discipleship and humility the moment she said yes to the invitation of Angel Gabriel and continues to serve as a model of faith with her steadfast love and humility.
During Fr Dom’s homily he further shares a few teachings about Mary’s obedience to the cross and for us to reflect on our obedience to the cross:
- Heartbreak and Pain
When there’s a turning point in life where we face heartbreak and pain, weather its physical or emotional, it takes time to heal and overcome the frustration, the struggle and the pain within. But, Mary teaches us to be faithful through the cross. For Jesus knows what is needed and has a plan for each of us.
- Covered in Darkness
Sometimes, when we fall short of God’s presence in our lives, we tend to feel lonely and disregarded. Allowing negative thoughts and emotions like depression to suppress our mind. With all this cloud of darkness, it distracts us from the truth, wisdom and trust God can give us. Mary reminds us that through prayer and her intercession, we will have liberation and change in our lives.
- Lost
We can lose our direction at times especially when we fall into the same situation or make the same mistakes repeatedly. Everything is in a spiral, we go around in circles depending on our own decision or choice to solve an issue or to compromise. Instead, we should have a full circle in life of accomplishment and growth in our faith and trust in Jesus. We must believe in God’s plan for us and let him guide and lead us to the right path in life. The phrase “To Jesus Through Mary” reflects the belief that Mary, as our spiritual mother, guides believers to her son. This brings comfort and hope and bringing pleas for mercy to her son.
Mary’s mission is nothing than to lead us towards Jesus. She is not an endpoint of devotion, but the most trusted guide toward her son. This is rooted in her actions as a guiding example, her true devotion and intercession for all us children of God. Mary’s vision in essence, is for every person to follow Jesus’s commands and live according to his word.
Just as she interiorly united herself with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the faithful are called to unite themselves internally with Christ’s offering in the Eucharist. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which celebrates the victory of life over death, is made more profound by Mary’s sorrow. Her perfect faith in the resurrection provides an example of hope, showing believers that even the deepest pain is not without hope. In essence, Mary’s role at the cross links the redemptive suffering of Christ with the lived experience of the faithful. Her sorrows are inseparable from the cross’s triumph, reminding us that love and suffering are intertwined on the path to salvation. (E.V)
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