“My soul now magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”  Mary’s Magnificat

“There was translucent light coming from within me, and I saw clearly the Virgin Mary before me.”  Father Joseph

As you know I was on retreat last week.  The Ladyminster monastery outside of Canon City, CO was the site of my sacred repose.  Spiritual retreats offer an opportunity to unplug and reconnect on a deeper level without the distractions of normal daily life. It was on a retreat at St. Walberga that I had the epiphany that literally changed the direction of my faith life.  It had been quite a long time since my last one.  Have you ever been on a sacred retreat?   I highly recommend it.

Anyway, there were many highlights during the five days spent sequestered in that holy habitation.  Daily prayer, the first of which took place at 4:30 a.m., being immersed in a setting that is saturated and soaked with spirituality, and having the opportunity to speak with three of the monks.  Father Joseph shared part of his personal story, which I’d like to pass on to you.  It is appropriate, as on this Mother’s Day it has to do with the effect that mothers had on his life.

Joseph was born two months prematurely.  At birth he weighed a mere 2 lbs, 7 ounces.  He was placed in an incubator for months.  Though his life was saved, the initial separation from his mother had a permanent effect on him, as he didn’t receive that initial mother/child bonding.  Exacerbating the separation was the fact that his mother became pregnant again shortly after Joseph’s birth.  Only ten months after Joseph made his entrance into the world, his younger brother was born.  When it came to a mother/child connection it was a double whammy.  Joseph, by his own admission, never had an intimate connection with his birth mother.

Perhaps that was the cause of him going astray in his young life.  His parents, though nominally Baptist, didn’t practice any faith.  As a result Joseph wandered aimlessly, looking for grounding and love.  In time his search led him into drinking, drugs, and Satanism.  He was naturally gifted as an artist, and used those skills to make demonic and devilish works of art.  Not surprisingly the path he was on led him to a very dark place, the very edge of death.  It was then that he experienced a life-changing event.

It occurred while he was at rock bottom, recovering from yet another alcohol, demon, and drug-induced descent into the darkness.  While in the depths he had a vision of the Virgin Mary.  He could see her clearly, and light was streaming not only from her, but from within him as well.  He describes it as having been translucent.  The light that was inundating his very being filled him with love.  The love of God, the love of Mary, the love of a mother that he never had.  He came out of that experience convinced of the truth of Mary, the truth of the Trinity, the reality of Jesus, and the veracity of Christ’s Word. 

His life changed drastically after that event.  He left the life of drinking, drugs, and demonic obsession, and began living in the Light.  It would be years before he became a monk, but he was on a new path.  A path upon which he was being led by Christ, and warmly embraced by the mother he never had.

Joseph’s story is a compelling one.  Unique to him, it is not unusual.  It highlights the importance of a biological mother, and the grace of God in providing something, or someone, even better.  On this Mother’s Day I hope you had or have a positive relationship with your mother.  But if you don’t—or perhaps even if you do—that you would find solace and security in the loving arms of your heavenly mother, and her beloved Son—who has called you to be their beloved child.