Easter Sunday, from "The Life of Mary As Seen By the Mystics"

Here's the conclusion of my excerpts from The Life of Mary As Seen By the Mystics.


Early on Easter morning, at the very instant when the holy soul of Christ re-entered and revived His sacred body in the sepulcher, Mary experienced a mystical ecstasy in which her grief and sorrow were transmuted into ineffable joy and bliss. Just at that moment, after knocking, St. John stepped into her oratory, and finding her in the midst of a heavenly splendor and utterly transfigured with supernatural exultation, he understood that the Lord had just arisen from the tomb. Meanwhile the glorious body and soul of the Redeemer came forth from the holy sepulcher shining with all the brilliance of His divinity, and the risen Lord immediately showed Himself to His Blessed Mother, together with all the saints and patriarchs of the Old Testament. He was clothed in a long, white robe with a mantle that waved gently in the breeze as he advanced, reflecting all the colors of the rainbow, while His large wounds sparkled brightly. Mary prostrated herself on the ground and humbly worshiped her resurrected Son until He took her hand, raised her, and drew her to Himself in a marvelous mystical embrace. Then in an ecstasy of fervent joy and love she heard a Voice saying to her: "My beloved, come higher!" And at the same time she was given a more profound and intimate vision of the Divinity than she had ever had before. Next she turned to the holy patriarchs and the souls of the Blessed, and as they bowed before her, she recognized and spoke to her beloved parents, St. Ann and St. Joachim, her good husband St. Joseph, and her friend St. John the Baptist. All of them honored  her as the Mother of the Redeemer of the world. And together they praised the Lord with hymns for His glorious victory over death, until He left them in order to show Himself to Mary Magdalen. 

Alleluia, He is risen! Happy Easter to you all!!!

The Risen Christ, by Ambrogio de Stefano Borgognone, 1510 

Good Friday, from "The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics"

Here's an excerpt from The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics; I've selected bits and pieces since the original passages are rather lengthy. Grab some tissues for this one.

[In Mary's own words] First they attatched His right hand to the beam, in which a nail hole had been prepared, and they drove the nail through His hand in the part where the bone was firmest. Then they put His other hand in the opposite direction with a rope, as it did not reach the other nail hole, and they nailed it down in the same way. Next they nailed His right foot, and over it the left, so that all the nerves and veins were torn apart and broken. Then they replaced on His holy head the crown of thorns which caused such deep wounds that His blood streamed down, filling His eyes and His ears and matting His whole beard. When the first nail was driven into Him, through the shock of that first blow I lost consciousness and fell down as though dead. Everything turned black before my eyes. My hands began to tremble. And my anguish was so bitter that I could not look up again until He was completely attatched to the cross. When I came to myself and arose again, I saw my Son hanging crucified in misery. And I, His deeply grieving Mother, felt such a shock through my whole being that  I could hardly stand . . . [since His heart was hers, that is, they were in complete accord] just as Adam and Eve sold the world for an apple, so in a certain sense my Son and I redeemed the world with one Heart . . . I stood near Him, sobbing. With His blood-filled eyes He looked down at John and commended me to His care . . . Then in the excessive anguish of His humanity He cried to His Father: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!" When I, His Most Sorrowful Mother heard these words, in my keen grief of heart all my limbs trembled - and indeed as often as I later thought of that cry, I could hear it again in my ears . . . Finally His head dropped, and His beard rested against His chest. [She fainted again, and when she came to she understood that it had all happened because He'd willed it to] And I thanked Him for everything. A certain joy was even mingled with my grief, for I perceived how He, who had never sinned, had willed to suffer so much for sinners, out of His great love . . . [After He was taken down] It would be impossible for anyone to describe how sad I was then. I was like a woman who gives birth to a child: after the birth her whole body is quivering, and although her pain is such that she can hardly breathe, yet in her heart she feels the greatest possible joy, becuase she knows her son which she has borne will never again have to go through that suffering which she has just experienced. Thus, though I felt a grief over the death of my Son that could not be compared to any other, I rejoiced in my soul, because I knew that my Son would not die again but would live forever.  And thus some joy was mingled with my sorrow . . . Oh, how gladly would I have allowed them to entomb me alive with my Son, if it had been His will! I can truly say that when my Son was entombed, there were two Hearts in one sepulcher. Is there not the saying: where your treasure is,  there is also your heart? Therefore my thoughts and my heart were always in the Tomb of my Son. After all these things had been accomplished,  the good John came and led me to his house. 

Michelangelo's Pieta

Holy Thursday, from "The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics"

Here's an excerpt from The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics describing what Mary went through on Holy Thursday.

To paraphrase: Mary was in a room next to the room where Jesus and his disciples had the Last Supper; she and the women who followed Him had their own table, but in visions she was able to see what went on with Christ (the feet-washing, etc.). When He offered up the bread and wine as His Body and Blood, thereby celebrating the first Holy Communion, Mary was able to receive this Communion by a special grace from God (she'd asked for it beforehand, and the angel Gabriel brought it to her).
Later when Jesus was about to leave the Cenacle with the apostles, Mary rose and went to meet Him at the door. Magdalen and another woman begged Jesus not to go to the Mount of Olives, for it was reported that He would be arrested there. The Master comforted them with a few words. Then He came face to face with His Sorrowful Mother, who threw herself at His feet and worshiped Him. Looking down at her with divine majesty and also with the overflowing love of a Son, the Lord said to her: "My Mother, I shall be with you in tribulation. Let us accomplish the will of the eternal Father and the salvation of men!" Then, as Mary made a silent offering of her grieving heart to God, He gave her his blessing, and stepping quickly past her, He set out for Gethsemani.

Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, c. 1495 - 1499

Palm Sunday, from "The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics"

Here's an excerpt from The Life of Mary As Seen by the Mystics. It's a book filled with accounts of the visions various Catholic mystics received from the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, in which she showed them behind-the-scenes moments from her life and gave them inside info into the life of her Son.

Throughout the following day [Palm Sunday], while Christ the king, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, received the enthusiastic acclamations of His followers, the Blessed Virgin remained in retirement in Lazarus' home in Bethany, although by visions she was able to watch the thrilling triumph of her Son. She noticed how sad He was as He gazed at the Holy City and wept over its approaching destruction, and she perceived the extraordinary gravity and serene majesty of His countenance during the solemn procession. On this occasion she heard the Voice of the eternal Father in heaven declare: "I have glorified, and I shall glorify again!" 

Not sure who painted this, but I like it.

Revised Book Trailer!

I edited my trailer for The Martyr-Queen - the previous one said it was "coming soon," this one says it's "available now." Feel free to share it!