Novena to St. Philomena

It's novena time once again! Please join me and the community at PrayMoreNovenas.com in praying to a powerful intercessor, St. Philomena. Learn more about her and sign up for daily email reminders here.

The novena starts tomorrow, Sunday, August 2. Personally, I am not familiar St. Philomena, and am enjoying learning more about her reputation as a healer and miracle worker. And I'm looking forward to getting to know her better through prayer!

The Legionary Image

Below is adapted from the allocutio I will give this evening at the Legion of Mary meeting. The allocutio is a talk given by the spiritual director or president on a topic from the handbook, Legio Mariae.

Ch. 25, Legio Mariae: The Legion Picture

There is a lot of information in this chapter! Let us look at some of the symbols Frank Duff describes: first, there is the dove, which is the symbol for the Holy Spirit. Mary was present at the descent of the Holy Spirit and it is understood that through her, the fire of the Holy Spirit is enkindled in the hearts of mankind.

The words bordering the image represent the catena prayer, as each letter is connected to the next as in a chain. Catena, of course, is Latin for chain. Daily recitation of the Catena binds Legionaries to each other across the globe. And in the portrayal of Mary we see her enveloped in light, “fair as the moon, bright as the sun,” underneath the words of the Magnificat, which is the “ever-present thought of Mary’s mind.” Duff reinforces the idea that it is just as important to our Lord now as it was then to rely upon his holy Mother to accomplish great things in His name.

And of course, no image of the Blessed Mother is complete without the crushing of the serpent’s head. We often see her looking glorious and mighty, with a puny little snake crushed underneath her heel. In our Legion picture, the large serpent is wrapped around the globe, mouth open, hissing angrily. Mary stands serenely above, in complete dominance. It is a wonderful reminder that she has always had power over the forces of evil.

Underneath Mary are her legionaries in battle under her name, and beyond them, the innumerable Legionaries who have passed on but remain members of her army. It is a beautiful thought that those who serve her on earth continue to do so in Heaven, and continue to have her blessing and intercession.

These symbols are vivid reminders of very real things. In the image we see our faith on display, along with the relationship with Mary, not just as Mother of God, but as the Mediatrix of All Graces, the one through whom our work is performed. We call on her and the Holy Spirit to aid us in our work and pray that we can serve her faithfully.

Even more important is the reminder of the universality of our faith and the bigger picture, if you will pardon the pun, that may go unseen in our day-to-day work. Frank Duff references the “undying warfare,” between Mary’s offspring and the offspring of evil, which we know to be true. All the time we are given the choice to choose between good and evil. These are not necessarily huge, obvious choices, but are the day-to-day decisions which we make and which shape our life. How we act in the present determines our earthly, and our eternal, future. Who do we side with? How do our actions speak of us? Do I choose the path of least resistance because it’s easier, or do I stay true to my faith, even when it’s difficult? Behind the scenes, in the world that exists beyond ours, the choices we make have repercussions. The angels, our Legionaries on the other side, and of course the Blessed Mother, are all there to help us make the right choices in our lives. Whether we see it or not, this eternal battle goes on.

Examining the Legion image every once in a while will be beneficial for returning to the reasons behind what we do and what we believe. It may even be a good image for meditation. Take some time in the coming days to examine the picture and reflect on how it makes you feel, or if perhaps it draws you closer to the Blessed Mother or your calling as a Legionary. Perhaps you will receive some divine inspiration!

Lectio Divina

Last night during prison ministry my fellow volunteer, Dave, had an idea. We tried lectio divina which I think, for most of us, was a first.

Lectio divina is a method of prayer involving the meditation upon certain words or phrases from Scripture. Here is an explanation: "First one goes to a quiet place and recalls that one is about to listen to the Word of God. Then one reads the scripture passage aloud to let oneself hear with his or her own ears the words. When one finishes reading, pause and recall if some word or phrase stood out or something touched one’s heart. If so, pause and savor the insight, feeling, or understanding. Then go back and read the passage again because it will have a fuller meaning. Pause again and note what happened. If one wants to dialogue with God or Jesus in response to the word, one should follow the prompting of one’s heart. This kind of reflective listening allows the Holy Spirit to deepen awareness of God’s taking the initiative to speak with us."

Dave provided us with a handout explaining the method which emphasized that not only is there no perfect way of performing this method of meditation and prayer, but that one should not expect a mighty revelation or fireworks of divine revelation. It's just another way to get closer to God and to hear His voice.

We looked over the readings from Sunday, 7/26 and took about ten minutes to quiet our internal minds, read the passages, select words, and reflect. Interestingly enough, most of us went to the second reading, which is from my beloved St. Paul in Ephesians 4:1-6:

Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

There's a lot of good stuff in there.

One inmate focused on the words "gentleness, with patience," stating that she knew she could work on both those things more actively in her life. Another chose "bond of peace." This was significant; he began a conversation about the bond of peace we all feel in meeting with each other each week, the unique and holy nature of the time we spend together, and how it helps keep him in a state of grace as he continues his week. But more importantly he asked the question, which I have also often wondered after Mass is over or leaving a Theology on Tap event, etc.: how does one maintain that bond of peace longer and more permanently? As soon as a person or event comes along to disrupt the flow, then one must seek it out again. You know what I mean. I have a feeling that is a much larger conversation for another time.

I chose "bearing with one another through love." If I could get this right, I think my life would be dramatically different. The one first and foremost we should be bearing with through love is ourselves: forgiveness, gentleness, patience and understanding that you are growing and bound to make mistakes. And secondly, bearing with others in love. Seeing Jesus in every person we meet, and not just when they're being nice. How different I would be if I were less likely to criticize others, condemn, gossip or feel bitterness. These are all behaviors that hold me back from real joy and freedom. I am thinking a lot about that.

I enjoyed using lectio divina prayer, and it reminded me of composition of place (Ignatian prayer that involves using all the senses and imagination to place oneself in a particular setting, as in being literally in the presence of Mary holding baby Jesus, or hearing Jesus give a sermon, and so on) in that it is one more tool to get closer to God, get beyond the prayer routine and open our mind to God's voice. It is also an opportunity not just to ask, as we have a habit during prayer, but to listen.