We read The Donkey’s Dream this morning. I love this picture book. Each time we read it we learn something new. Today we read again where the symbols in the book are drawn from. In case you haven’t read it the story is a nativity story told through the eyes of the donkey that carries Mary to Bethlehem. Each page depicts a dream the donkey has a long the way. And in that dream is revealed one of the images of Mary; the ship, a spiritual vessel, a well of living water, the mystic rose and Queen of heaven. Today we remembered how the author who had decorated each page with forget-me-nots had not known until the book was finished that these flowers are known in French as les yeux de Marie, Mary’s eyes.

Here is a quote and a picture from the book

He dreamed he was carrying a lady full of heaven.



Mary's purpose is to show us her Son. She always points the way to Him. "I have never known her to fail me whenever I have asked her to show me Jesus" says the writer of a blog I visited today. 

Our Priest told a similar story today. He was at a Parish in India for five years that on every Wednesday people would attend to express their love of Mary as their mother. There would be people of many different faiths, Christians,Moslems,Hindus,Sikhs and many of no particular faith at all. But every Wednesday they would all come to this church to express their great love of Mary. He went on to say that during that time he witnessed many prayers answered, miracles done due to the intercession of Mary. He told of a young woman who came into the church one day with a tiny baby in her arms and tears streaming down her face. The child she said was a miracle from God through Mary's intercession.

In my own life too I can testify that when I have invoked Mary's help during a particularly difficult time, help came.
Mary constantly showers down graces and favours on the faithful, and so has won the perogative all-powerful intercessor. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Christians know that they can reach God through his Mother. She is our shortcut -- the most direct path to God for us. Our love for her is shown in our continually coming up with new ways of expressing affection for her..

GATE OF HEAVEN
St. Alphonsus Liguori affirms that Mary is the Gate of Heaven, since in the way all befits a king confers first to pass through his palace gate, no grace comes down from heaven without first passing through the hands of Mary. Even during her earthly life we see how Our Lady was the dispenser of Divine grace. Precisely through her the unborn Jesus blesses the Precursor from his Mother's womb on the occasion when Mary has gone in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Jesus performs his first miracle by changing water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee -- at Mary's insistence. The disciples begin to put their faith wholly in Jesus from this very moment. The Church in history and in the nations of the world began on that day of Pentecost -- in the presence of Mary.

Here is an excerpt from the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception:
Holy Mary, Mother of God, I firmly believe in thy Immaculate Conception. I bless God for having granted thee this glorious privilege. I thank Him a thousand times for having taught it to me by the infallible voice of the Church. Receive my heart, O Immaculate Virgin; I give it to thee without reserve; purify it; guard it; never give it back to me, preserve it in thy love and in the love of Jesus during time and eternity. AMEN.