The Mother of the Anointed King would be Mary, according to the Gospel of Luke [4], the Gospel reading for the fourth week of Advent 2017. Where the words in the second reading from the Romans [5] come from (compared to upper right hyperlink: ROM 16:25-27), what they mean and how they fit in before the Gospel this blogger has no idea. Perhaps USCCB does but it does not elaborate.
As an aside, Christmas Eve is less than a week away, and the Vatican already has its Nativity scene in place. It was described in detail by The Catholic Traveler with photographs. [6] Neither the content nor the photographs has been pasted here because of copyright.
Incidentally, nothing written by this blogger is copyrighted. For certain people, the saying "pride of ownership" applies, but for others, "stress of ownership" is an understatement. Did Adam and Eve own anything before they sinned? God provided for them everything they needed, yet they were dissatisfied. They wanted to be like God, to "own" a piece of God. They wanted to "copyright" God and call it their own. The world has thus become a world of ownership, and it is over ownership, the desire for and the exercise of dominion, that wars have been waged, that regime changes have been forced upon sovereigns, that people have been uprooted, tortured and killed and that terrorism has become a norm. As a consequence, peace in that far away place, in a manger in Bethlehem, has become elusive to grasp and difficult to comprehend and internalize, even for those who believe in God and who celebrate the birth of Christ.
The birth of Christ was an event that changed the world, one that is holy and wholesome and ought to be depicted as such in a Nativity scene. One section of the 2017 Nativity scene at the Vatican contradicts that holiness and wholesomeness. Even authorities at secular Facebook had to censor it. Quoting from lifesitenews.com, in part without hyperlinks [7]:
Facebook has nixed a photo of this year’s Vatican nativity scene, referencing its policy against “sexually suggestive or provocative” images, Breitbart reported.
The Vatican crèche was donated by the ancient Abbey of Montevergine in the Campania region of southern Italy. Its scenery and crib figures, in 18th-century Neapolitan costumes, were produced by artisans in a local workshop. It incorporates vignettes representing the corporal works of mercy, including visiting the sick and imprisoned, burying the dead, and clothing the naked.
“It was this last element that excited the censors at Facebook,” Breitbart said. The manger scene prominently features the figure of a naked man lying on the straw, being offered a cloth by a pilgrim, just opposite where the figure of the baby Jesus will be placed on Christmas Day.
An ad featuring the image of the scene was rejected by Facebook with the following explanation: “Your ad can’t include images that are sexually suggestive or provocative.”
Here is the image that was rejected by Facebook:
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| https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/facebook-rejects-picture-of-vatican-nativity-scene-with-naked-man |
Does this well-groomed, clean-shaven reclining statue represent a homeless man who has gone without proper nutrition and hygiene for a good length of time? Does he look emaciated, or look more like a well-trained Olympic athlete on a finely calibrated diet or an ancient Greek wrestler at rest? This semi-nude figure was undoubtedly created by talented sculptors and artists but is it appropriate as part of a Nativity scene? Allowing this "sexually suggestive or provocative" image (and the depiction of a cadaver - see below) to be displayed as a part of a Nativity scene seems to indicate Satan is in the Vatican, and it is not leaving any time soon.
 |
| From Google Images "Celebrating death instead of life – another attention-grabbing image is that of a person burying a dead man in the nativity scene." See https://veritas-vincit-international.org/2017/12/13/naked-man-steals-show-vaticans-new-nativity-scene-rendition/ |
Reparations ought to be made for the sins of the Vatican and of those who are in charge of it. Perhaps saying the Seven Sorrows Rosary, in addition to saying the regular Rosary, would help. Below is a photograph of the Seven Sorrows Rosary this blogger uses (sadly not often enough):
Below is one way of saying the Seven Sorrows Rosary (as edited by this blogger within [brackets]) quoted in part from companionscross.org [8]:
The Rosary ofthe Seven Sorrows Of Our Lady
INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My God, I offer you this rosary for your glory. I
want to honor your Holy Mother, the Blessed
Virgin, by meditating upon and sharing in her
suffering.
O my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, trusting in
your infinite love I turn to you for forgiveness
and mercy. I am truly sorry for the pains you
suffered in your most bitter Passion because of
my sins. For love of you, and before your holy
presence, I utterly renounce and forsake all the
sins of my whole life. I ask pardon of you with all
my heart. I firmly resolve to amend my life and
would rather die than offend you again.
[together with or instead of the prayer immediately above
"Act of contrition
My God, I regret so much to have offended you because you are infinitely good, infinitely kind and you dislike sin. I make a firm resolution, with the help of your holy grace, never to offend you and to do penance. In this state of contrition, I want to live and die. Amen!" [9]]
O Blessed Virgin Mary, you are our tender
Mother and the refuge of sinners. I run to you
with confidence and love. Hide me under your
mantle of love and protection. As I meditate upon
the swords of sorrow that pierced your
Immaculate Heart, obtain for me the forgiveness
of my sins and the grace to live a life of heroic
holiness.
O Blessed Mother, I unite my heart to yours and
offer this rosary for priests: for their growth in
holiness, obedience to the Magisterium [in
accordance with the teachings of Christ],
boldness in the proclamation of the Gospel, and a
profound love for the people of God. May all
priests humbly lead the souls entrusted to their
care into an intimate relationship with the Lord.
[I also pray for the following particular
intentions…] {These brackets are original.}
...
The First Sword of Sorrow
Simeon announces
the suffering destiny of Jesus
(Luke 2:34-35)
O Mother of Sorrows, how deeply your heart was
pierced with sorrow when Simeon announced
that Jesus, your beloved Child, was to be a sign
that would be rejected. Your heart knew that He
was to be the suffering Messiah the prophets had
foretold, the man of sorrows, who would carry all
our sins and heal us by His wounds. Through this
bitter sorrow obtain for us the grace never to
reject Jesus or refuse Him anything. Help us to
completely surrender our lives to Him and to live
according to His most holy will in everything.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Second Sword of Sorrow
Mary escapes into Egypt
with Jesus and Joseph
(Matt 2:13-15)
O Mother of Sorrows, what pain filled your heart
as you fled your home and country knowing that
the tyrant Herod was intent on murdering your
little Child whom you loved above all else. The
hardships of travel, the long journey, and life as a
refugee was nothing compared to the torment of
such demonic malice directed toward Jesus.
Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us
the grace never to risk the life of Jesus in our
souls through deliberate sin.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Third Sword of Sorrow
Mary seeks Jesus lost in Jerusalem
(Luke 2:41-51)
O Mother of Sorrows, what grief filled your heart
as you and Joseph searched desperately for Jesus
when you could not find Him among your
relatives and friends returning home from
Jerusalem. When your Son replied that He must
be about His Father’s business, you accepted that
He had begun the mission that would lead to His
sacrificial death. The sorrow of those three days
of separation prepared you for the three days of
suffering you endured while His body lay lifeless
in the tomb. Through this bitter sword of sorrow
obtain for us the grace to accept the ways of
Divine Providence even when we do not
understand them.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Fourth Sword of Sorrow
Mary meets Jesus as He carries
His Cross to Calvary
(cf. Luke 23:26-31)
O Mother of Sorrows, how it must have wounded
your tender maternal heart to see your beloved
Son Jesus carrying His Cross to Calvary, the place
of [crucifixion.] How it must have pained you to see
Him so bloodied, beaten, and reviled as He
strained to fulfill His deepest desire: to give His
life as a ransom for us. Through this bitter sword
of sorrow obtain for us the grace to deny
ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Jesus
with perseverance and love.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Fifth Sword of Sorrow
Mary stands near the Cross
of her Son Jesus
(John 19:25-27)
O Mother of Sorrows, here the prophecy of
Simeon comes to its ultimate fulfillment: the
sword of sorrow impales your heart as you stand
beneath the Cross of your Son. Crucified
spiritually with your crucified Son, you offered
Him to the Father and united yourself completely
to His self-offering and sacrificial death. We
simply cannot fathom the pain of your offering or
the depth of love that inspired it. Through this
bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to
unite all our sufferings to our crucified Lord with
[humble acceptance] and love.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Sixth Sword of Sorrow
Mary receives into her arms
the body of Jesus taken down from the
Cross
(cf. John 19:38)
O Mother of Sorrows, your heart was drowned in
grief as you embraced the lifeless corpse of your
Son. He who was your very life was now dead.
Your light in this life was extinguished. Yet you
accepted this sorrow with love knowing that it
was all part of the Father’s plan of salvation.
Through this bitter sword of sorrow obtain for us
the grace to accept with patience and love the
sorrows that befall us in this vale of tears, firmly
believing that God works all things to the good
for those who love Him.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
The Seventh Sword of Sorrow
Mary helps place the body of Jesus
in the tomb
(cf. John 19:39-42)
O Mother of Sorrows, who could express the
cruel anguish of this moment? The same Child
that you once wrapped in swaddling clothes
amidst unspeakable joy, you now wrap silently in
His burial shroud. Your tears mingle with the
blood and dirt that covers His broken body. But
even in this moment your trust in His promise did
not die. Your mourning was [with unwavering faith],
for you knew that He would rise again from this
grave just as He promised. Through this bitter
sword of sorrow obtain for us the grace to believe
with [absolute faith] in the victory of our Lord
even in the darkest moments of life.
Our Father & seven Hail Mary’s
Holy Mother hear my prayers, and renew in my heart each wound of Jesus my Savior.
Pray three Hail Mary’s in honor of the tears of
Our Sorrowful Mother.
CLOSING PRAYERS
O Mary, you truly became the Queen of all
martyrs as these seven bitter swords of sorrow
pierced your Immaculate Heart! By the merits of
your tearful distress obtain for us [and for all]
sinners the graces of perfect contrition and
conversion. Help us always, dear Mother, to
imitate you by taking up our crosses and
following Jesus with limitless love and generosity.
Amen.
Mary, who was conceived without sin and who
suffered for us, pray for us. (Say three times)
[1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122417.cfm
[2] http://www.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/7:1
[3] Ibid.
[4] http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122417.cfm
[5] Ibid.
[6] http://thecatholictraveler.com/christmas-vatican-2017-nativity-scene/
[7] https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/facebook-rejects-picture-of-vatican-nativity-scene-with-naked-man
[8] http://www.companionscross.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/The%20Rosary%20of%20the%20Seven%20Sorrows%20of%20Our%20lady_edited.pdf
[9] http://kibeho-sanctuary.com/index.php/en/liturgy/holy-rosary
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