Mary Sullivan

“For this momentary light affliction is producing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory,
but what is seen is eternal.”  (2 Cor. 4:17-18)

Dear Father in heaven, stay beside us from the start.
Help us to ever persevere, and never to lose heart.
Our outer self is fading.  It is wasting away.
But our inner self is renewed with each passing day.

This affliction seems so heavy.  But in truth it is light.
In a moment it will pass from us—and be gone from our sight.
Affliction has a purpose.  For us it does prepare
An eternal weight of glory, beyond any compare.

May we see more than what is seen by human eyes.
For what we see with human eyes will soon find its demise.
Let us look to what is unseen.  For angelic sight, let’s yearn.
The eternal unseen things, may we no longer spurn.

Fill us, Father, with Your truth.  For truth, let us strive.
Fill our souls with faith.  Let Your will direct our lives.
Fill our hearts with love of You.  Help us now to cope.
Help our minds to trust in You.   In You, we place our hope.

A Pharisee invited Jesus, to come and with Him to dine.
Jesus went into his house.  At table, He reclined.
A woman with an alabaster jar, came and wiped His feet.
She sought to honor Him, in a way so sweet.

His sacred feet were kissed by her, and His feet anointed.
The Pharisee responded, as if a judge appointed:
If Jesus was a prophet, He’d know by whom He had been touched.
He called her a sinner.  With scorn, he talked so much.

Then Jesus, to Simon, had something to say.
Two people were indebted to a creditor one day.
One owed five-hundred days of wages, an awful lot it’s true.
The other owed just fifty days—the lesser of the two.

The creditor forgave them both.  For neither could repay,
The large amount of debt owed to the creditor that day.
Jesus questioned Simon: which one will love him more?
Simon answered rightly, the one who had more debt in store.

Jesus turned to the woman, and to Simon He explained,
He gave no water for his feet; her tears bathed them unrestrained.
She anointed his feet with oil.  Simon anointed not His head.
Her many sins forgiven; great love she showed, He said.

For one who is forgiven little, loves just a little too.
But one who is forgiven much, loves much in all they do.
Let us know, dear Jesus, how much forgiveness we’ve been shown.
Let love blossom in our hearts.  Let love in our hearts be sewn.

And show our loved ones too, dear Lord, forgiveness is a part,
Of all they say and do.  Give them repentant hearts.
Let us break the alabaster jar.  Anoint with oil Your feet.
Turn our hearts to You, our Master.  Heal now all unbelief.

(Based on Luke 7:36-50)

“It is a lesson we all need—
to let alone the things that do not concern us.
He has other ways for others to follow Him;
all do not go by the same path.
It is for each of us to learn the path by which He requires us to follow Him,
and to follow Him in that path.” (St. Katharine Drexel)

 Father, help us to let be, what should not be our concern.
Guide us along the holy path, the path we ought not spurn.
The path by which, you have willed, life’s lessons we ought learn,
Show to us where we must walk.  Help us our path discern.

All do not walk by the same path, nor endure the same trials.
You call each to a different path; You call some for many miles.
Show to us, dear Father, the path which is the best,
Show to us, gracious Father, that path willed by You and blessed.

Lead us along the holy path, though sorrow we may know.
Through mercy lead us home to You. Help us let others go
Along the path You will for them, though it be a painful one.
We trust You to show our loved ones the way back to Your Son.

Saint Mary Magdalene, outside the tomb, with such sorrow wept,
What had happened to the Master, was hard to accept.

She looked into the tomb, and who should Mary greet,

But two angels.  One was at the head and one at the feet,

Of where our dear Lord’s body had just been laid down dead.

“Woman why are you weeping?” is what the angels said.

She thought the Lord was taken.  She knew not where He was laying.

He had been crucified.  So complete had been His slaying.

Someone was standing near her.  When she turned around, she’d see,

That a man was standing there.  The gardener this must be.

 Mary spoke these words: Sir if you have taken Him away,

Tell me where you laid Him…, she asked this of him that day.

She offered to take the Lord, wanted the Lord protected.

But this gardener was the Lord Himself Who had been resurrected.

 Jesus would then call her name.  Mary! is what He said.

And Mary was so startled.  She’d thought the Lord still dead!

Rabbouni, she cried out!  To Jesus, she grabbed hold.

The truth of the resurrection would begin to unfold.

But Jesus said: Stop holding on to me.  To His Father, He must ascend.

This was told to Mary by our Lord, upon Whom she could depend.

Jesus was going to His Father, and to her Father as well,

Jesus was going to His God, and Mary’s God, the Scriptures tell.

 Jesus asked that Mary tell His brothers what she’d seen and heard this day.

And Mary did what Jesus asked, did this without delay.

She told them she had seen the Lord.  This truth she’d not distort.

She told them what He said to her.  She gave them her report.

 Lord, may we weep like Mary Magdalene for what was done to You.

And may we seek to find You, as You wait for us anew.

May we protect Your Holy words, Your truth and Your commands.

May we do all You ask of us, Your will—may we understand.

 Dear Jesus, help our loved ones, to seek You as well.

May they find You in their fellow men, and in what the Scriptures tell. 

May they find Your healing hand in all of their confusion.

May Your truth be the remedy to each false belief or delusion.

 Jesus, bring Your truth to life in each one we love.

Appear now to our loved ones.  Teach them of things above.

Help each loved one cling to You, God’s only Son begotten.

Help them to know the promise.  Let them be not forgotten.

 Do this now sweet Jesus.  There is no time to waste.

Go to them now sweet Jesus.  Make haste, dear Lord, make haste.

(Based on John 20:11-18)