Single Mothers of Mary Topic 27
Goal: To begin to understand authentic intercession and fulfillment and the authentic manifestation of love
Topics covered in this post:
- Inspirational Women: Mary, the bride at Cana, and St. Bridget of Sweden
- Second Luminous Mystery: The First Miracle at the Wedding at Cana
- Guidance on finding remedies for great temptations, for creating modest conversation, and for building confidence in doing and saying what is just, honest, and appropriate
- Questions on responses to marriage, differences between God’s plan and the world’s plan for women, and on the nature of LOVE manifested in authentic intercession and authentic marriage
Mary’s heart burning with love
St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373)
- Her mom was the second wife to her dad, so her mom brought several other children to the marriage before having Bridget–she had step brothers and sisters.
- Her mom died when she was only 12, so her aunt then took over the care of her brothers and sisters and her.
- When she was fourteen (16 in other texts), she married an 18 year old young man named Ulf. Together, they made resolutions to be a holy couple.
- Together, they had eight children–four girls and four boys. Their youngest child has also been canonized–St. Catherine of Sweden.
- During their married life, Bridget cultivated friendships with a number of learned and virtuous people, took charge of feudal estate affairs, became a lady-in-waiting for the queen of Sweden and established the intellectual center for Sweden.
- Her husband died in 1344.
- Despite her young widowhood and fears of the Black Plague in southern Europe, she left Sweden in 1349 because she refused to support the king’s war on Latvia and Estonia. She then made pilgrimages to holy sites, such as the holy places of St. Olaf’s shrine, Compostela, Rome, and Assisi.
- She had many personal revelations, such as the need for court members (politicians) to convert, the need for the Pope to return to Rome, and the need to build religious houses. Since she was unsure whether or not her visions were from God or from the devil, she became haunted by fears until she met a spiritual guide who knew the worthiness of her visions. For the most part, her revelations and prophecies had to do with the religious, cultural, and political problems of her day.
- Her wisdom often brought her slander and persecutions from those who did not want to hear the truth.
- She did not fear to admonish even the Pope when he stubbornly refused to return to Rome (St. Catherine of Siena finally convinced him in 1376, three years after St. Bridget’s death in 1373).
- She helped her family through many problems, such as supporting her oldest daughter who had a riotous husband, grieving over her youngest son’s death, and admonishing her married son Charles who became entangled in a messy affair with the infamous queen of Spain who was also already married—they wanted to marry each other secretly even though they were already married—he died of a fever before that secret marriage could take place.
- She exemplifies courage, perseverance, wisdom, faithfulness to truth, educational values, motherhood, and love.
Prayer: Second Luminous Mystery (The Wedding at Cana)
- Start with short introductory prayer of praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petitions.
- Read John 2: 1-16 and reflect.
- Creed, decade of the Rosary with St. Louis de Montfort, praying for the willingness to do whatever Jesus says with Jesus in His Self-Manifestation and willingness at Cana.
- Glory Be and reflect silently on this Mystery.
- Discuss any inspirations or questions about the Mystery.
- Discuss the importance of Mary’s intercession, marriage, and Jesus’ manifestation with his first public miracle.
Readings:
- Read St. Francis De Sales Part IV, Chapter 7 (remedies for great temptations)
- CCC 1612-1620 (the relationship of marriage and virginity for the sake of the Kingdom)
- CCC 1643 (the goods, shoulds, and manifestation of conjugal love)
- Familiaris Consortio 11 (Humankind—male and female—the Image of God Who is Love), 13 (Jesus the Bridegroom) and 20f (witness of the abandoned)
- Hosea (needs to be read in its entirety in order to see human frailty, God’s marital love, and the hope of authentic conversion and fulfillment–for now, see 2:16-22)
- St. Francis De Sales Part III, Chapter 27 (modesty and love in conversation)
Faith Witness:
- How can we still be vessels of this Good News even while single mothers?
- What kind of response do you have to the word marriage? Reflect whether or not there is a personal need for heart healing.
- What does the world say a woman should rely on after she has become a single mother?
- What are some of the extreme miseries that women find themselves in if they listen to the world?
- How does Jesus change this predicament for women?
- What are the life altering decisions we need to discern with Jesus?
- How can we tell if we are in a good position, emotionally speaking, to know if we are making the decision that is in line with God’s call to holiness and love?
- How will you be able to tell if God is calling you to continue living as a single mom or to marriage?
- Would Mary be a good person to ask for help?
- How does Mary represent “woman” and the importance for women to intercede for others today?
- Read Ephesians 5:21-33 in light of your Christian call to be faithful to God.
- Final prayer and encouragement, read Hosea this week, pray the Beatitudes, and think and pray about the mystery of Jesus at the Wedding in Cana.
Single Mothers of Mary 