Our Lady, Vessel of Devotion and Mystical Rose
Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM
T he Goal of this Special Devotional Series is for all of us to know Mary and to know who she is in the Eyes of God and in the Eyes of the Church. The goal is for us also to know her more personally. As we come to her, we will grow in confidence and grow in the love for her.
The Special Devotional Series is taking a spiritual journey, exploring the titles the Church recognizes for Mary. The prayer, Litany of Loreto has been prayed for hundreds of years, and likely goes back to the early Church days. Some of Mary’s titles are either mysterious, or confusing in these modern days. The last few conferences explore The Virginity of Mary and Cause of Our Joy.
Today’s focus is on four titles, which at first seem mysterious and requires a bit of work on our part to understand. These four titles of Vessel of Devotion include:
- Spiritual Vessel
- Vessel of Singular Devotion
- Vessel of Honor
- Mystical Rose
Spiritual Vessel
The conference focuses on the initial three titles first. In the conference, the vessels of a priest are utilized as a visual aid. It contains the chalice used in the celebration of Holy Mass. The box is used to keep the vessels safe, because of the service in which they are utilized. The dignity of the vessel is set apart to be utilized in the Divine Mysteries. They must be protected, and cherished as they are set aside for this divine service.
The audio goes on and compares the vessels with Mary. Mary is a vessel we must cherish as well, as she is precious for the divine service she performed and still performs. Mary is dedicated to the Will of God, and has a heavenly focus. A chalice is made for a priest, blessed and consecrated for the service he performs and the divine service the vessel performs. The audio examines the parallelism with Mary.
Unlike the chalice, Spiritual Vessel (Mary) has a will, mind and heart. Mary rejoices in what she does in the service of the Lord. Hear more about this title and what it implies as we pray to Mary.
Vessel of Honor
A well-made vessel honors the one it serves. However, a vessel receives its honor based upon the work it does in the service of Our Lord! Mary, within her, must be a pure and untainted gold. Her goodness must be reliable and faithful. She must be the one Our Lord deserves. Honored to be chosen by the Lord, she must be precious, good and strong. Why do we honor Mary? Because of the One she bears. The Holy Spirit inspired Mary to proclaim: … all ages to come will call me blessed.
An Important Challenge for Us All: The Bearer of Our Lord
It’s easy to imagine the time of the Incarnation and envision Mary, Full of Grace. Its easy, perhaps, to recognize we should honor Our Lady for what she did and continues to do. However, if we meditate on these titles for a time, we will also see the challenge the Lord has given to us all!
When the Body of Christ participates in Mass, are we also not the one who receives Our Lord? Are we not the bearer of Our Lord? Are we also a Vessel of Honor? Can we be classified as a vessel with dignity? Are we prayerful? Are we also a Spiritual Vessel? Is our spiritual life tended so we may honor the Lord? This is the challenge all Christians face in our Spiritual Life. Meditate on this topic. Hear more of the challenge within this audio.
Vessel of Singular Devotion
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit… Mary rejoiced in bearing the Lord. She lived with no anger, no insecurity. Mary was not filled with earthly desires. She rejoiced and cried out to the Lord.
Mary is a living tabernacle. A heart full of love for the one within her. How attentive are we all when the Lord is within us and for all He does for us? Hear more about the Vessel of Singular Devotion within the audio.
Mystical Rose
Mystical means not earthly. Rose is a very special flower. Mary is associated with gardens and flowers. A rose is considered a perfect flower with an amazing fragrance, and a wonderful and beautiful color. Simply, it is the best of all flowers. It is the queen of flowers. Mary is the most perfect of the all flowers. A Mystical Rose.
A rose also has thorns. Mary also has thorns, but not for you or me. Her thorns are her passion and her sufferings. For us, she has only goodness and beauty. One can touch her without fear of being hurt. She has only kindness. Her goodness is available to us.
Listen to these four titles within this conference and meditate on this Vessel of Devotion and Mystical Rose.
Our Lady, Vessel of Devotion and Mystical Rose
Note: *
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