Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

A Meditation on the Immaculate Conception from "A Journey to Healing Through Divine Mercy".

"My daughter, at God's command I am to be in a special and exclusive way; your Mother but I desire that you too in a special way, be My child."    Diary 1414

It is amazing how we cling to all that is "us". With every ounce of our being, we build a fortress of "self" to supposedly shield us from harm. The trouble is, most times it also shields us from joy, leaving us unable to truly love and live in the present moment with God.

We are not born with this shield. Our human nature trusted our parents to provide for all of our needs when we were infants. It is through our disappointments from others and the pain we have experienced that we erect the wall of (what we falsely believe is) protection.

On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, I cannot help but reflect upon her ability  to remain open in spite of the disappointments and pain she experienced. Being born without original sin I imagine she saw things so clearly. In her complete surrender to God, she accepted what He allowed in her life because she completely believed in Him and His love for her, no matter how things seemed. That is a hard thing to accomplish, and impossible without His grace.

From the Annunciation of the Lord to the journey to the stable in Bethlehem, she trusted, even though , in human terms, it would appear that God had abandoned her.

Even as she fled in the night with Joseph, learned about the slaughter of the Holy Innocents, stood in front of the house of Pilate, hearing shouts of "crucify Him"; walked to Calvary and beheld the death of her Son; even through all of that, Mary continued to love, building no shield and allowing nothing to separate her from God's love – not even indescribable pain.

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, may each one of us learn to cling, not to ourselves or to other mere mortals, but like Mary, to Jesus Christ alone, Mercy Himself, who brings us joy and salvation.

In the "fullness of time" (Ga; 4:4), when everything had been arranged according to his plan f salvation, he sent his only Son into the world, born of the Virgin Mary, to reveal his love for us in a definitive way. Whoever see Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person reveals the mercy of God.  -  Pope Francis, Misercordiae Vultus

______________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are suffering from a past abortion and found this meditation helpful, or even if you are not, you can purchase the book of meditations for healing, "A Journey to Healing Through Divine Mercy" through Marian Press.