My dear parishioners, it is the hint of her smile, I suppose, that first caught my attention. Everything about her face contributed to the moment -- her mysterious eyes, her beautiful complexion, her youth. She looked in my direction. I know she saw me, but I can tell she looked at many others as well. She regarded me in such a way that I actually received her smile as a gift. Yet, somehow, I perceived myself to be its cause. She discovered something good in me and shared her happiness. In that moment of recognition, so intense and alive, I had the sense that anyone would feel the way I do. Who told her about me? Why do I have the sense that she knew me before anyone told me her name? I know a smile lasts for only a moment or two, and most encounters between persons are all too brief as well. But the power of her smile compelled me to look at her face, to learn what was special about her, to imprint her features in my memory, to hold briefly that which can never be captured. Her smile, of course, conveyed welcome and reassurance. It gave me permission to look at her eyes with the confidence of knowing that she would not turn away. How could I know what gave her such pleasure? Her eyes are beautiful, intently alive, suggesting that she always will know more about me than ever I can perceive in her. But is enough for me to know that her smile is genuine and immediate, and that her goodness is far-reaching. You may look into this woman’s eyes, but don't expect to see boundaries or walls. Her soul seems infinite; it is God you are looking at through her. You might be afraid of falling in, but don’t be afraid to study her loveliness or draw her in your imagination. Through her, I’ve begun to learn something about the depth of the human soul. I know that, unlike God's eternity, the human soul has heighth and depth, length and breadth. We human beings are creatures, lacking natural powers to see things as they really are. We need God. We need a spiritual mother just as the angels do. I'm not the only one who experiences such things. Many people understand that her soul is a kind of window to Christ who is alpha and omega, infinity itself. If you dared to plant yourself directly in the path of her gaze, she would not deny you were there. But seeing you, she would look beyond you, nonetheless. Her eyes and smile are meant to be received and understood by countless others. You can count on this. She will touch you like no other. She is Our Lady of Divine Grace, you see, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the years since I first met her, I learned that Mary is the vessel par excellence through which our Lord pours out his surpassing grace to the world. It is true, isn’t it, that a person can smile even though he or she is alone. Now I know very well that the Most Holy Trinity has given Mary the ministry of the smile--a grace and a power to bring Our Lord's faithful followers to rejoice at any moment of the day or night, anywhere in the world, from the present moment into timeless eternity. It's a lovely thought, it seems to me, that you don't have to be perfectly conscious of Mary's love and mediation in order to receive it and benefit from it from moment to moment. Our Lady of Divine Grace is proof that you’re never alone or without a mother’s love. Her loves goes forth from her Immaculate Heart. It searches for you an discovers you. For your part, you best show your gratitude by praying her Rosary and celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on her great feast days. There is a comprehension, at once subtle and quite obvious, that Christ grants to artists who love his mother and all the saints. These artists, "writing" the Gospel with their plastic arts, know intuitively how to portray the Mother of God. Invariably, serious artists always show her looking downward. This is a sign of Mary’s humility and the saints who imitate her spiritual hiddenness. The living saints of this generation are submissive to God and know the meaning of his presence in their lives. Equally important, I believe, is the fact that Mary and the heavenly saints are portrayed as looking in our direction. Mary’s work, whether on earth or in heaven, is with human beings not angels. Our God knows what we need. How he loves us! Our Lady of Grace is portrayed with open arms. Mary, alone of all the saints, is capable of smiling upon us in such a way that every believer can experience being sheltered in her very arms. The Mother of God offers all her spiritual children the fullness of her love and maternal care as if each individual was the only person in the world. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the hint of sadness in Mary’s smile and in the depth of her eyes. Our Lady of Divine Grace is the new Eve. She stands above the serpent whom she has crushed with her heel. [cf Gen 3:15] Unlike Eve who cooperated with evil, Mary collaborated with her son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to destroy evil. Of course, Mary smiles at the victory of her son over sin and death. But she remembers with sadness the great price that her Son Jesus paid on the cross for our salvation. She was there. She saw it all. She suffered the hour of trial like no other human being on earth. Little wonder, then, that Mary the Mother of the Church knows our sufferings and comes to our aid. When you look at Our Lady’s face prayerfully, realize in your heart that she is interceding for you. It is her motherhood, I’ve discovered, that draws me back to rejoice in her beauty, to admire and emulate her humble service, and to know I am never alone. She leads us by the hand to her son. Pope Saint John Paul II, of blessed memory, said that all human longing resolves itself into a search for the truth, indeed for a person in whom we can place our trust. [cf. Fides et Ratio no. 33] That person is the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, and Christ is the Truth. Our Blessed Mother speaks truthfully to us when she says, "Do whatever he tells you"! [Jn 2:5] Sincerely in the hearts of Mary and Jesus, Father Richard Barker. +++ +++
My dear parishioners, it is the hint of her smile, I suppose, that first caught my attention. Everything about her face contributed to the moment -- her mysterious eyes, her beautiful complexion, her youth. She looked in my direction. I know she saw me, but I can tell she looked at many others as well.