THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: CAUSE OF OUR JOY

 THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY: CAUSE OF OUR JOY By REV FR PETER OGIATOR C.D.A

A TALk DELIVERED  AT CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ABEOKUTA ANNUAL DIOCESAN MARIAN PILGRIMAGE 2022 

INTRODUCTION: HOW IT ALL BEGAN

When God created the heaven and Earth, he looked at everything he created and he found it very good ( Gen 1, 2-26), however when  Adam sinned and the whole of mankind fell through their mistake, the world became dark and gloom, the world that was created out of physical and temporary  darkness, was thrown into a spiritual and more intense and dangerous darkness,  the whole world was thrown into confusion, turmoil, disarray, there was hostility between heaven and earth, it was so terrible that the gate of heaven was closed against mankind (Gen 3, 23- 24). There was no hope in sight. Imagine world powers like the United States, United Kingdom, closing its gates against Nigeria, the hardship will unimaginably terrible in every ramification of life.

THEN THERE WAS DARKNESS OF SORROW AND HOPELESSNESS

This reality threw Mankind into much difficulty and uncomfortable conditions (Gen.3, 16- 23), here make examples of why many Nigerian Youths are into cultism, ritualism, drug, prostitution, organ racketeering etc. this further brought about the introduction of other sins like murder (Gen. 4,8) incest (Gen. 4,17) to mention but a few. However, in the midst of our hardship and confusion, God remained God, regardless of the fact that we had lost our way and identity, regardless of the fact that we were wandering about in our hopelessness, God was busy initiating, calculating and introducing a remedy, a cure and a solution to the problem. And I say to you today no matter what challenge, problem, worry, fear, affliction that has brought you to this holy ground today, I want to tell that God is initiating, calculating and introducing a solution, a remedy, a way out into all of them, in the mighty name of Jesus Amen. Remember the story of the man with many demons, whose name was legion in Mk 5,9, the word of God said Jesus was already saying to him as the Demon was coming, Come out of him, I say to you today, come out of that hopeless, that depression, that frustration, that childlessness, that nothingness, that sorrow, that sickness, that stagnation in business, that barrenness in the mighty name of Jesus Amen. Awon Yoruba ni Ori eni nii mu ni ko n ge amala to ba gbo na, akii gbo ari wo orogun bii ti odo but you know when you know what it means to be hopeless definitely you will experience a turning around. In the mighty name of Jesus. Awon Yoruba maa n wi pe Bi ori ba wa lehin eni, Eni o mo ni ri, a maa se ni lore, this year Eni t io mo e ri Aase e lo re.

LIGHT OF HOPE BEGAN TO APPEAR

Awon Yoruba so wi pe , eni ba je eran ponmo sun, to wa la alaa wi pe maalu nle oun loju orun, se ko mo wi pe eleran lo fa gba eran ni, Jer. 29,11 says I alone know the good plans I have for you, When God took upon himself the plan to save mankind and not abandon him to death, annihilation and destruction,( cf. Eucharistic prayer IV) God came up with different covenants that could in a way give us a kind of temporal joy but from time past, these covenants could not live up to their reason of being established in the first place, these covenants were not enough to save mankind. 

The covenant of a new world in Noah only reminded God not to destroy the world by the waters of the flood (Gen 9,11), the world as it is someday, sometime, somehow will come to an end, (Mt. 24,35, Lk. 21,33, Rev.20,11), it will be destroyed by fire.

 The covenant of Abraham is an adoption of children by circumcision, (Gen. 17) this could not save mankind as such cannot give us joy. This covenant only makes us sharers of the Abrahamic Blessing (cf Gen. 12,3).

 The covenant of Moses, the ten commandments, the Decalogue could not save mankind we were rather as it were, limited to laws and commandments but the law cannot save, it helped to moderate and also dictate our steps.

 The Davidic covenant became a pointer to the revelation of the master plan of God whereby an everlasting Kingdom where God will be all in all was made manifest.

Although all these covenants have their short coming, however there gave some form of pseudo joy which were not complete in themselves. I decree that every covenant that has been contracted on your behalf in the kingdom of darkness, shall be destroyed in Jesus name. 

 Every covenant of crying, wailing, weeping, misfortune, accident, untimely and sudden death that has been contracted with your blood, water, cloth, money, property and whatever that is of you, I decree and I declare that they shall be destroyed, in the name of Jesus.

Every covenant of spiritual wife, husband, children, eating in the dream, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, it is destroyed.

Awon Yoruba maa n wipe, Bi gba ni gba ni ko ba lee gba ni lo wo n ani nani, iyen tun mo wipe gba ni gba ni ko lee gba ni lo wo o n ani na ni. Ni odun yii, olorun a a gba o, lo wo na na n ani. In every dark tunnel of your life, you will see light at the tunnel. Remember when the storm arose in Mk. 4,39, Jesus got up and rebuked the Sea, he said quiet now, be still. I decree that every storm arising over the boat of life be quiet and still in the mighty name of Jesus.

THERE WAS JOY AT THE FULLNESS OF TIME

Awon Yoruba wi pe Bi Igba Esisi ba de na da Owo, eleyii to ri ba yo ninu won, ni a koko forilole Just like the generation of Jacob who went to seek for refuge in Egypt from the land of Canaan ( Gen. 45, 16-47,12), mankind sought for joy and happiness in different things to make them happy, so it is today many seek for joy and happiness in pseudo sources, broken cisterns as the prophet Jeremiah said (Jer.2,13) many of us also seek joy and happiness too from broken cisterns, broken cisterns like alcohol, drugs, vices and crimes, all these pseudo sources of joy or broken cisterns have only successfully chained and eternally imprisoned us.

However, when the promises of God became manifest through the visitation of the Angel Gabriel to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary (LK. 1,26-28) JOY entered the world, what kind of joy? The joy you feel when a student is near graduation, the joy you feel when a pregnant woman is near her delivery day, the kind of joy you feel when a prisoner is near his or her release date, the kind of joy you feel when you are about to be ordained, professed or married, the kind of joy you feel when you know that you cannot die eternally anymore that is the kind of joy I mean, that our years, months, days of servitude and imprisonment to sin, hell, Satan, damnation and destruction have been numbered. How did this happen, God used the instruments of our damnation for our salvation by creating another Eve, the second Eve which is why In the year 130 the Bishop of Lyons, Irenaeus wrote concerning a theme common in patristic Marian reflections, that Mary was the "Second Eve": "As Eve was seduced by the speech of an angel, so as to flee God in transgressing his word, so also Mary received the good tidings by means of the angel's speech, so as to be God within her, being obedient to this word. And though the one had disobeyed God, yet the other was drawn to obey him; that of the virgin Eve, the virgin Mary might become the advocate and as by a virgin the human race had been bound to death, by a virgin it is saved, the balance being preserved- a virgin's disobedience by a virgin' obedience." (Against Heresies, 3, 19 130 A.D.)

Years before, the great apologist of the second century, Justin the Martyr (110-165 A.D.) wrote: "For whereas Eve, yet a virgin and undefiled, through conceiving the word that came from the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death; the Virgin Mary, taking faith and joy, when the Angel told her the good tidings that the Spirit of the Lord should come upon  her, and the power of the Most High overshadow her, and therefore the Holy One to be born of her should be the Son of God, answered, Be it done to me according to thy word. And so, by means of her was he born, concerning whom we have shown so many Scriptures were spoken; through whom God overthrows the serpent, and those angels and men who have become like to it, and on the other hand, works deliverance from death for such as repent of their evil doings and believe in him (Dialogue with Trypho, 100 A.D.)

In the fourth century, St. Epiphanius, wrote "Against Eighty Heresies" where he affirmed: "Eve was called the mother of the living ...after the fall this title was given to her. True it is...the whole race of man upon earth was born from Eve; but in reality, it is from Mary the Life was truly born to the world. So that by giving birth to the Living One, Mary became the mother of all living"

Contained within the larger version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a fragment of the fresco from the catacomb of Priscilla in Rome dating from the Third Century which is one of many ancient images of the Blessed Virgin. The oldest hymn to her is contained is called in Latin the " Sub Tuum Praesidium" (Under Thy Protection) and dates to the Third Century. It is also found in Greek and Church Slavonic and begins with these words: "We fly to your patronage, O holy Theotokos; despise not our petition in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O ever-glorious and blessed Virgin."

The Greek term Theo-tokos means "God-bearer" or Mother of God. It is still the most popular title given to Our Lady in the Eastern Christian Churches. It was affirmed in early Church Councils precisely because it confirmed the Christian claim about who Jesus Christ is and protected the meaning and implications of His Incarnation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it simply," What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ" (CCC#487).

We find a myriad of affirmations of Mary in the early Christian writings. Here are a few more: "you are the vessel and tabernacle containing all mysteries. You know what the Patriarchs never knew; you have experienced what was never revealed to the Angels; you have heard what the Prophets never heard. In a word, all that was hidden from preceding generations was made known to you; even more, most of these wonders depended on you. (270 A.D., St. Gregory Thaumaturgus),

"Blessed Virgin, immaculate and pure you are the sinless Mother of your Son, the mighty Lord of the universe. You are holy and inviolate, the hope of the hopeless and sinful; we sing your praises. We praise you as full of every grace, for you bore the God-Man. We all venerate you; we invoke you and implore your aid...Holy and immaculate Virgin...be our intercessor and advocate at the hour of death and judgment...you are holy in the sight of God, to Whom be honor and glory, majesty, and power forever (373 AD, St. Ephraim of Edessa).

"It becomes you to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him Who granted you all graces, for you are the Mother of God and our Queen. Help us for the sake of the King, the Lord God Master Who was born of you. For this reason, you are called 'full of Grace'..." (373 St. Athanasius).

"Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanksgiving for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent? ...accept then such poor thanks as we have to offer, unequal though they be to your merits. Receive our gratitude and obtain by your prayers the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to bring about our peace with God...Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you, feel now your help and protection. ...Make it your continual care to pray for the people of God, for you were blessed by God and were made worthy to bear the Redeemer of the world, who lives and reigns forever (St Augustine in 430 A.D.) 

St. Justin Martyr, 2nd century, says and I quote, [Jesus] became man by the Virgin, in order that the disobedience which proceeded from the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled, having conceived the word of the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death.

But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy, when the angel Gabriel announced the good tidings to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her: wherefore also the Holy Thing begotten of her is the Son of God; and she replied, Be it unto me according to your word. (Dialogue with Trypho, 100, A.D. 160)

 St. Irenaeus of Lyon, 2nd century said [W]hat is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter [] [I]t was that the knot of Eves disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith. (Against Heresies, III.22.4, A.D. 180)

For just as [Eve] was led astray by the word of an angel, so that she fled from God when she had transgressed His word; so, did [Mary], by an angelic communication, receive the glad tidings that she should sustain God, being obedient to His word. And if the former did disobey God, yet the latter was persuaded to be obedient to God, in order that the Virgin Mary might become the patroness of the virgin Eve.

And thus, as the human race fell into bondage to death by means of a virgin, so is it rescued by a virgin; virginal disobedience having been balanced in the opposite scale by virginal obedience. (Against Heresies, V.19.1, A.D. 180)

Tertullian, 2nd-3rd century, for it was while Eve was yet a virgin, that the ensnaring word had crept into her ear which was to build the edifice of death. Into a virgins soul, in like manner, must be introduced that Word of God which was to raise the fabric of life; so that what had been reduced to ruin by this sex, might by the selfsame sex be recovered to salvation. As Eve had believed the serpent, so Mary believed the angel. The delinquency which the one occasioned by believing, the other by believing effaced.

But (it will be said) Eve did not at the devils word conceive in her womb. Well, she at all events conceived; for the devils word afterwards became as seed to her that she should conceive as an outcast, and bring forth in sorrow. Indeed, she gave birth to a fratricidal devil; while Mary, on the contrary, bare one who was one day to secure salvation to Israel, His own brother after the flesh, and the murderer of Himself.

God therefore sent down into the virgins womb His Word, as the good Brother, who should blot out the memory of the evil brother. Hence it was necessary that Christ should come forth for the salvation of man, in that condition of flesh into which man had entered ever since his condemnation. (The Flesh of Christ, 17, A.D. 210)

 St. Gregory the Wonder-worker, 3rd century

When I remember the disobedience of Eve, I weep. But when I view the fruit of Mary, I am again renewed. Deathless by descent, invisible through beauty, before the ages light of light; of God the Father wast Thou begotten; being Word and Son of God, thou didst take on flesh from Mary Virgin, in order that Thou mightiest renew afresh Adam fashioned by Thy holy hand. (Homily Concerning the Holy Mother of God Ever-Virgin, 1)

St. Jerome, 4th century

Death came through Eve, but life has come through Mary. (Epistle 22, 21)

 St. Ephrem, 4th century

With the body then that [was] from the Virgin, [Jesus] entered Sheol and plundered its storehouses and emptied its treasures. He came then to Eve the Mother of all living. This is the vine whose fence Death laid open by her own hands, and caused her to taste of his fruits. So, Eve the Mother of all living became the well-spring of death to all living. But Mary budded forth, a new shoot from Eve the ancient vine; and new life dwelt in her, that when Death should come confidently after his custom to feed upon mortal fruits, the life that is slayer of death might be stored up [therein] against him (Homily on Our Lord, 3)

Let women praise Her, the pure Mary  that as in Eve their mother, great was their reproach  lo! In Mary their sister, greatly magnified was their honor. [] Of him the Lord said, that he had fallen from Heaven. The Abhorred One had exalted himself; from his uplifting he has fallen. The foot of Mary has trod him down, who bruised Eve with his heel. (Hymns on the Nativity, 15)

St. Augustine, 4th-5th century

Our Lord . . . was not averse to males, for he took the form of a male, nor to females, for of a female he was born. Besides, there is a great mystery here: that just as death comes to us through a woman, life is born to us through a woman; that the devil, defeated, would be tormented by each nature, feminine and masculine, as he had taken delight in the defection of both. (Christian Combat 22.24, A.D. 396).

THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY CAUSE OF OUR JOY

You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the surpassing joy of Israel, you are the splendid boast of our people, (Jud. 15,9), these were the words of gratitude and honor said to Judith, one of the heroines of Israel, such glory is accorded to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when she took her life in hands by consenting the Angels message, her consent brought immense joy and illumination into the darkened sorrowful life of mankind. The fiat of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary marked the countdown to our Redemption, Freedom and Adoption as Sons and Daughters of God. This Joy reflected and revibrated in varied ways 

In Lk. 1,44, Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist at the greeting of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, felt this Joy, the infant John the Baptist felt this Joy, the holy prophet Simeon felt this Joy in Lk 2, 29-32, the holy prophetess Anna, the daughter of Phanuel in Lk 2, 36-38, felt this joy and was willing to proclaim it to everyone who looked forward to the redemption of Israel, the shepherds in Luke 2, 8-14, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to them, the wise men from the East felt this joy in Mt.2,1-12, the Magi in Mk 15,23 also felt this joy when the stars led them to where the Baby Jesus laid in Bethlehem.

Just like the effect of Adam’s sin caused the World much pain and distress (Rom 5,12), the acceptance of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary to the will of God brought immense joy to the World that throughout the three years of Jesus’ public ministry, the Joy that Mary brought to the World through her acceptance vibrated across the four corners of the World, joys that are never felt, never seen, or even expressed or experienced. The blind could see, the dumb could talk, the deaf could hear, the dead are raised, lepers are cleansed, the lame could walk and the Good news is proclaimed (Mt 11,4, Lk 7, 22).

This joy we continue to feel even in the life of the Church today, we feel this joy through the grace of purification at Baptism, we feel this joy at the spiritual nourish of the Holy Eucharist, we feel this Joy on the Altar of Mercy when we are absolved of our sins and Iniquities the Sacrament of Penance, we feel this Joy when we receive strength to carry our sufferings in the Anointing of the Sick, we feel this joy when we receive the grace of Ordination to the Clerical state or profession to the Religious Life, we feel this joy when love is celebrated in Holy Matrimony. We feel this joy continuously when we become keepers to our brothers and sisters especially when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit that sick brother or sister, put a call across to that person that has not called you, text that person that has not texted you for a while, chat that person that has not chatted you for a while. Reach out to that person that hasnt reached out to you for a long time. This are little ways we ourselves can bring joy into peoples lives especially as gradually enter the festive season.