A Privileged Resurrection Encounter

As you may already know, in the formal prayers St. Ignatius proposed for the Fourth week of the Spiritual Exercises, he invites the retreatants to pray over the Resurrection appearances of Jesus.

And the first encounter he suggests we consider is Jesus’ appearance to His mother Mary. Even though, as Ignatius himself admits, there is no scripture to aid us in that contemplation, he still gives that privileged encounter first priority in his proposed list.

And, truly, with good reason.

Who, more than anyone, would need to receive that consoling truth. As she stood at the foot of His cross, we can readily imagine, in our own prayerful consideration, how she looked at her Son, and then up to the heavens -- and hearing the Enemy whispering in her ear:

“Where are you now, Gabriel?”

That was her final surrender to the call of faith that was hers alone to live. And now, it was right that she be the first to know “the rest of the story.”

And, as she always did throughout her life, she continues to intercede for each and every one of us, to accept that blessed assurance:

“It is well with our souls”

Fr. Mike French, SJ