Reverence

I have always had a soft spot for chivalry and courtly etiquette. When I was out of college, I discovered Renaissance re-enactment through the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA). Through the SCA, I polished my skills as a rapier and dagger fighter and courtly dancer. I belonged to the Barony of Shattered Crystal and once a year the Barony would hold an event call Crystal Ball. This event consisted of fencing tournaments during the day, a banquet and then dancing all night. The Baron and Baroness were the nobles of this event. We were taught that when you saw a crown you should curtsey or bow in reverence to their higher station.

SCA led me to get involved with the St. Louis Renaissance Faire when it first opened in the late 1990's. I attended classes on how one was to behave when you saw the royal court. Curtsey or bow and eyes at the royals waist so that you could see the signal to rise. Eyes were not to look at the foot, because that would mean that you were a person of loose morals and ashamed of your indiscretions. Eyes that met the royal's were assumed that you were defying them and their station. I also had to learn how to be a lady of the court since I was an understudy for the eldest prince's tutor/governess. When I played a royal the only people I had to bow down to were the King and Queen. The “King and Queen of France.”

So when I decided to enter into the Catholic Church and I was going through RCIA, you would think that when it came to bowing before the tabernacle it would be easy for me. It wasn't. Early on when I was touring with Theater of the Word and we would be setting up in the Church before the Blessed Sacrament had been removed, I would find it hard to remember to bow. I would remember to bow when we entered the Church the first time, but then I would be caught up in the work and forget. “Maria, He is still in there.” one of the other Catholic actors would remind me. I would turn red, retrace my footsteps, bow to the Blessed Sacrament and then hurry back to my work. I think I was furious at being called out. As I was fuming to myself and setting up the lights on the light tree I felt a gentle reproach “Why is it hard for you to bow to me when you used to bow to false Kings all the time?” That stung. How could I bow to false Kings multiple times and it not be a problem; and then when I am in the true presence of a Real King I pay him not in reverence or insolence but down right rebellious refusal! I am worse than Peter, who denied Jesus out of self-preservation and fear. I do not want to give Him a fraction of time it would take to acknowledge Him because that would take me from my work. The work that He blessed me with. The work that I keep saying that I am doing to glorify Him! That moment really hit me.

We bow our heads down in toil and work all day. We cave into things we don't really need but somehow we think our life will be better if I just have this one thing. “If only I had...(fill in the blank)...then I would be happy.” How many times have we said this very thing? How many times do we stop for a minute and give reverence to Him in a prayer of thanksgiving? How many times do we come forward on Sunday to receive the Eucharist (His body, blood, soul and divinity) and we are distracted with petty things occupying our brain? He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, our Redeemer and our Savior. The least thing a person could do is to pay Jesus, Our King with love, respect and reverence.

Lord, help me to remember all that you have done for me so that I may, poor servant that I am, pay you in praise, thanksgiving, and reverence with all of myself.

Divine Mercy Sunday in the Year of Mercy

I became fascinated with Divine Mercy in 2014 when Pope John Paul II was canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday. I learned that he had died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday and that it was a poetic end for the Pope since he had a great devotion to Divine Mercy.

It was then that I began to read the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, who was a Polish nun who had many dialogues with Our Lord and who was entrusted with having an image made of Divine Mercy with the words Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus asked Faustina to have the image made and that it should be venerated on the Sunday after Easter. Jesus also asked Faustina to encourage priests to declare the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday in honor of God's merciful love.

Pope John Paul II was from Poland and had a devotion to Divine Mercy. When he canonized St. Faustina in 2002 on Divine Mercy Sunday he also established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast day for the entire Church to celebrate.

Pope Francis has declared a Year of Mercy which began on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and will end on November 20, 2016 (the Sunday dedicated to Christ the King). 

 

This year of Mercy started off filled with surprises and consolations for me. In honor of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, I drove down to Perryville, MO with a couple of my friends. We decided to make a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal that is located at St. Mary of the Barrens Catholic Church.

Our first consolation was to discover that a designated Holy Door would be opened that very day! One of the members of our party was renewing her consecration to Jesus through Mary this day and was thrilled to have this extra consolation. “I thought that I would have to wait for the Holy Door to be opened at the Basilica in St. Louis this Saturday before I could celebrate this Jubiliee year of Mercy with an indulgence, but one is here that will open today!”

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

We entered the gift shop to find out more details about the events of the day and to arrange a tour of the church. That was when I saw Mary. I have been looking for a statue of Mary for 5 years trying to find one all in white with maybe some gold trim, but no blue ribbon or blue mantle. This may sound strange to you since Mary is usually depicted with one of these items or both. I have had one dream about Our Lady and that took place on New Year's Eve 2010 that heralded New Year's Day 2011. She was all in white-a dazzling white and she was beautiful. She did not say a word to me but just encouraged me to hand a particular red rosary to a friend of mine. That dream made a lasting impression on me and I decided that I would not get a statue of Mary unless the statue looked like her image in my dream. There she was sitting among a few Christmas items blending in, but yet not really a part of the display. I walked around the store and looked to see if there were any other copies of that statue. None. I picked her up and saw the price tag on the bottom of the statue. I took the statue up to the register. “I would like to buy this statue.” “Let me see if I have one in stock.” the clerk said. She checked her register. She checked the tag. She checked the register. “Hmmm. I am not showing that we have these in our inventory.” I smiled. “That must mean that she is to come home with me. I will pay the price that is listed on the tag.” The clerk went to find the statue's box. She came back. “I hope this box will do. I can't find the box that she came in.” The statue of Mary did fit perfectly in the box. She now sits on my shelf of honor in my office looking over my shoulder.  The statue of Mary was my consolation.

We toured the church. Two of us in our party had visited the National Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, but we both enjoyed hearing about the beginning of the church and how it became a shrine. The friend in our party, who was visiting the Shrine for the first time found great consolation in the whole trip especially being able to pray in the beautiful chapel dedicated to the Miraculous Medal and then to tour the grounds on a spring like day in December.

  Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

We attended the ceremony for the opening of the Holy Door to begin the Year of Mercy. I enjoyed the fact that the Holy Door led into the Votive Chapel where all the candle lights are lit for prayer requests. We walked through the Holy Door and attended the Mass that happened right after the ceremony. What a way to begin the Year of Mercy!!!

 Photo courtesy of Nancy Hollenstein

 

I have been following Fr. Michael Gaitley's book 33 Days to Merciful Love in preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy. I thought why not consecrate myself to Divine Mercy in the Year of Mercy? It has already started out as a year of great consolation and joy. I look forward to this new adventure and how it will draw me closer in my relationship with God, who is Merciful and who is Mercy.

For the sake of his sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world.

St. Faustina, pray for us! St. John Paul II, pray for us!