Our Lady Of A Happy Journey
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We are all on a journey, a journey to Heaven, our eternal home. On the way we must detour occasionally to be “about Our Father’s business”. These side-jaunts are little diversions made happy in the knowledge that we do all for the Love of God.
Our Blessed lady is our model in this as in all other matters; she too, as we know from Holy Scripture, went on happy journeys to do the will of God and aid in our redemption. Her presentation in the Temple–mutually joyful and sacrificing for her and her parents; her Visitation after the angel’s visit to her at the Annunciation, joyful to Elizabeth, and to John the Baptist, who, as Scripture tells us “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb; in response to the educt if Augustus, the arduous but happy journey to Bethlehem when Mary was “with child”; the anxious hands of Herod, mingled with the happy assurance of safety; the destitute, but eager and joyful return to Nazareth; the annual loss-resulting journey to the Temple when Jesus was twelve years old, and the joy of finding him among the doctors in the Temple; the happy participation in the unique-miracle at the wedding feast of Cana; the three journey-filled years of Christ’s public life as Mary followed with joyful love and humility His every action; the soul-crushing death-march to Calvary, consoled by His infinite Love for us her children; the unparalleled, bereaved, lonely, return from His borrowed grave, happy in the thought that now He could suffer no more; the joyful trips to His post-resurrection rendezvous with those He loved; the thrilling trip to the Mount of the Ascension; the relaxing journey with John to her new home in Ephesus; and, finally, her ecstatic entrance into Heaven.
Regardless of the fact that this is a “vale of tears” in which we journey on, all sorrow can be turned into joy here below, if we, handclasped with Mother Mary, skip along at her side on life’s journeyings and find happiness as she did, in doing the Father’s will.
