Cor Mariae: My Fight for 2015

 Last post, I shared a bit about my fight for 2015. I deeply desire for this year to be transformative, both for me and for those whom God will touch through me. 

For several months, I've been growing in a new and ever-deepening awareness of what "love" really means, and I hope to begin articulating those thoughts soon. As I delve deeper into the idea of love, I'm beginning to realise just how profoundly incapable my little heart is of loving anything truly and purely. I don't know how to love others. I don't know how to love myself. And I definitely don't know how to love God.

I want 2015 to be a year of revolution for my heart. I want it to be a year when I learn to love Christ with a heart like Mary's, and so begin to love His world.

And so I begin this challenge: Cor Mariae. My fight for 2015. To cultivate an authentic love for Jesus in my poor, weak heart by fortifying it with Marian grace. To emulate the purity, humility and devotion of Christ's mother, receiving Him; bearing Him to the world and radiating the light of His love always and everywhere.

Today I prayed through the Gospels and read every passage of scripture in which Mary appears. In each verse, I jotted down what her words, actions and implied thoughts reflect about her heart for Christ.

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From the Gospel of Matthew:

A Mother's Heart
ready to embrace and cherish life

A Humble Heart
ready to suffer disgrace for God's sake

A Pure Heart
ready to live chastely

A Present Heart
ready to be there with Emmanuel "God with us"

A Poor Heart
ready to endure poverty, hardship and want

A Receptive Heart
ready to accept the gifts and offerings of other graciously

A Courageous Heart
ready to be uprooted from comfort, familiarity and security

An Obedient Heart
ready to faithfully follow those whom God has called to lead

A Hardworking Heart
ready to toil away at daily life until the moment God has anointed for greater things

An Understanding Heart
ready to be seemingly turned away and rejected by Christ

From the Gospel of Luke

A Wondering Heart
ready to seek deeper understanding of God's mysteries

A Heart that Surrenders
ready to say Fiat

A Trusting Heart
ready to accept the unknown

A Serving Heart
ready to lay down her life in God's service

A Giving Heart
ready to hurry and help those in need

A Rejoicing Heart
ready to sing praise of God's greatness

An Insightful Heart
ready to look beyond the here and now to see the bigger picture of salvation history

A Pondering Heart
ready to treasure and think deeply about the circumstances of her life

A Heart Pierced by Sorrow
ready to grieve and to endure

A Wise Heart
ready to instill goodness, truth and strength into those in her care

A Heart that Searches for the Lord
ready to put everything on hold until He is found

From the Gospel of John

A Bold Heart
ready to fearlessly ask Jesus to grant her requests

A Standing Heart
ready to remain firm even when all hope seems lost

An All-Embracing Heart
ready to become the spiritual mother of all

From the Acts of the Apostles

A Heart for Community
ready to embrace the necessity of fellowship

A Heart for the Holy Spirit
ready to receive the gifts and working of God's Spirit.

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Twenty-six "hearts". Fifty-two weeks.

My plan is to work through each of these qualities one by one, learning, through each, how to love more fully. Then, in the second half of the year, I'll revisit each with new eyes and new fervour. I hope you'll join me in praying, discovering and growing to love like Mary.

May God continue to bless your 2015!

Please pray for me as I fly to Australia tomorrow to begin my second year of NET!!!

AMDG