October is one of two months when we consciously and more overtly honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. At every Sacred Heart school throughout the world, we have a special name, representation and celebration of Mary. We know her, represent her and celebrate her under the title of Mater Admirabilis.
The story of this image of Mary is uniquely Sacred Heart. A young Sacred Heart nun created a fresco at one of our convents in Rome. The fresco had garish colors. Consequently, it was covered up. A few weeks later, when the Pope was visiting, he asked that the cloth be removed so he might see the fresco. Upon uncovering what was feared to be an ugly image, the colors had settled such that a beautiful pink was revealed in Mary’s attire. Her gaze was drawn inward in a strikingly simple and alluring contemplative mode. The Pope exclaimed, “Mater Admirabilis!” (the translation of which is Mother Most Admirable). And thus she has been known and loved for generations of Sacred Heart students the world over!
The invitation of this particular representation of Mary is also uniquely Sacred Heart. Through Mater’s gaze, we are called, each in our own lives, to connect to the God within. If we want our children to be exteriorly strong, resilient, courageous, peace-filled, if we want them to be grounded, rooted and resilient, if we want them to be self-aware, confident and joyful, we invite them to develop an inner life! By doing so, we are connecting them to God with a particularly strong bond. That connection IS the secret to deep peace!
HOW we invite our children to experience that inner life, how we nurture an interior life in them, how we help them create the capacity to sustain an inner life is the trick. And, that is really the essence of a Sacred Heart education!
One way to do so is to BE what we hope to develop in our children. So, in celebration of the Feast of Mater, let us commit ourselves to model what we desire for them. One way to nurture interiority is to simply STOP, PAUSE and BE QUIET. So, let’s try that. Let us try to get off the treadmill of life, turn off the TV, turn off the radio, turn off the interior chatter and turn our gaze inward.
If we become interior souls, God-within will be our deep source of security, confidence and joy. May it be so!
Happy Feast, Everyone!
—Sister Glavin
