To Jesus through Mary

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On the Feast of St. Luke I was blessed to attend a most reverent daily Mass with Fr. Cliff Ermatinger of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee as the presider. Fr. Cliff had not ever presided at daily Mass at my parish as far as I know, and this was the first time that I had ever been present at his Mass.  I was deeply moved by how reverent he is!  Fr. Cliff spent a great deal of time elevating both the host and the chalice which made for a significant amount of adoration of both.  I had never seen that done at such length before and felt that it really helped to keep me focused on the real purpose of the Mass and prevented me from becoming distracted as, sadly, I too often seem to be.  

His homily for the feast day was enlightening!  He said that not only was St. Luke a physician and an artist, but he was also an historian who personally  sought out the sources before writing his Gospel. Although he never met Jesus in person, he had met His mother Mary, and it was through Mary that he learned everything about Jesus. He learned about the Incarnation, the Visitation, the Nativity, and all aspects of the  life of Jesus, through the eyes and stories of the Blessed Mother, with whom he personally spoke. How did he know that she pondered these things in her heart?  He knew because she told him.  And that's why Luke's Gospel is the only one that shares the personal details about Mary's experience.

St. Luke went to Jesus through Mary, just as we do today!  What a great and beautiful example!

The Artist

She solemnly sits for the artist,

a bit embarrassed to be the center

of attention as she prefers to remain

silent, in the background.

He paints a picture with his words

weaving and flowing,

but the colors surrounding

his brush with beauty

fail to capture the essence

of the one who held The Word.

Yet he knows that for

generations to come

the woman will be honored

regardless of his talent or skill;

for her greatness cannot be contained

in the written word or in the work of art.

She will transcend all that man

can do to describe her,

for she can only be felt in the heart

that is open to her love,

in the spirit that is

longing for her companionship,

and in the child who is

in need of a Mother.

Thank you St. Luke for bringing our Mother's love into our hearts with your artistry of words, and thank you for journeying through this year with me as my own personal companion and patron saint!