Dear Apostles of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

When Jesus came to earth and began His mission to evangelize the whole world, He repeated often: “My meat is to do the Will of My heavenly Father!” We, too, are privileged to partake of this food, by performing our daily tasks and duties conscientiously and faithfully. On Pentecost Sunday in the upper room in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended upon Our Lady and the Apostles with the sound of a violent wind and, at that moment, the Church became manifest. Christ’s disciples became Apostles and messengers of the Faith, and Mary became Queen of Apostles. What a magnificent sign of God’s Love this moment was! Thereafter, the frightened disciples preached the Gospel with great courage. Wherever they went, they carried with them the banner of Christ and laid the cornerstone of the Church upon the rock of St. Peter. At once, they collected the principles of the Faith in the formula called “The Creed” which was destined to be handed down without corruption to our present Age.

In no wise would the disciples depart from the original doctrines laid down by Christ, not even if they were threatened with death by kings and emperors. Death is the portal of Heaven and they gave their lives gladly in exchange for the Glory of God. The pagans looked on and marveled to themselves how these simple men and women loved one another and loved their enemies fearlessly.

Mary was the first Christian, the People of God in embryo, making the first perfect offering to the Father in the history of the universe. This offering to the heavenly Father was the surrender of her rights over her Son, the total sacrificing of all of her motherly claims, for the Son was to be about His Father’s business of the Redemption of mankind. Christ would die on the Cross and Mary’s heart would be transfixed with a sword. The more we love, the more we expose ourselves to suffering and sorrow. Mary stood beneath the Cross and at the second the sword pierced the Heart of Christ, it mystically pierced the heart of Mary. How often, today, when entering a church, we have to say as Mary Magdalene did on the first Easter: “They have taken away my Lord and  I do not know where they have laid Him.” How the Hearts of Jesus and Mary must grieve today to see the irreverence and unworthy reception of the Sacraments!

God has His DAY but the devil has his hour, the HOUR of darkness which today blankets the face of the earth. At Bethlehem, Mary brought forth her “firstborn Son.” At the foot of the Cross, She was the new Eve and Our Lord the new Adam, and John represented all the faithful ever conceived and brought forth to Christ the Bridegroom, and the Church, the Bride of Christ, contained in Heart of Mary.

The Church is a communion of saints and a communion of sinners – a true Mystical Body of Christ in which all the members share a common life. The wellbeing of the whole body is enhanced by the holiness of its members. The Bride of Christ enfolds all the pain of the world in the arms of Her compassion. Let us take refuge in Mary’s Immaculate Heart and She will form us into Christ.

Bon Courage, dear little Ants, God is with us!

PATTI MELVIN, ULRA Director