Heart of Jesus, Obedient Unto Death
In this lesson, Annabelle Moseley, poet; author; and Professor of Theology, leads Day 25 of the 33-Day “Our House of the Sacred Heart” Consecration and teaches “The Lesson of the Birth Offering” as a real-life example of answering the call. Beautiful prayers, devotions, art, stories, scripture and poetry are included in this podcast that won’t take much of your time… but is time well-spent.
Reflection on Art
How does this painting show a birth offering?
In Italian, this title means “Madonna of the Veil.” And In Our House of the Sacred Heart page 266, we read, “It is a rare moment, as one labors with the Creator to birth a new life, that the veil between Heaven and earth feels much thinner and our saints, our great cloud of witnesses, have never seemed closer to me.”
How does that passage relate to the image, and what does it make you feel/think?
Questions of the Day
- All births have an interesting story. What is yours?
- Where do you see God’s hand in your life?
Today’s Challenge
Look up your date of birth and discover if you don’t already know which saint’s feast day shared your birthday. Invoke this saint in prayer. Look up the details of this saint’s life and see if you can discover, how is this saint’s day fitting for your birthday? Is there some patronage or element of the saint you resonate with or some part of the saint’s life you wish to strive to emulate?
Download the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus here if you’d like to save it or print it for reference!
Listen to Author Annabelle Moseley interviewed by Dr. Mary Anne Urlakis on her show “Vows, Vocations, and Promises: Discerning the Call of Love.” Hear Annabelle talk about what inspired her to write this book, what it was like to write it, why she decided to lead a Consecration to the Sacred Heart and answers to other intriguing questions.
Our House of the Sacred Heart is the companion text for this 33-day Consecration to the Sacred Heart. Click on the image to get your copy today!
Although I was never blessed to have children, I would like to relate my mother’s story of the birth of my brother. My father was in the service and my mother joined him in Texas. They were over the moon expecting their first child. However, my mother had a very difficult birth and was sent home too soon. When the Lieutenant’s wife came to visit, and saw how ill my mother was, she contacted her husband and they sent my mother back to the hospital by private ambulance. My mother recalled how they pack her in ice and when she looked up she saw the Blessed Mother’s statue in the corner. She placed herself under her mantle and survived – every day after having a special devotion to the Blessed Mother.
My mother’s story is eventful for me because I am younger than my brother and would not be here if my mother had not the courage to conceive another child. (my birth was much easier!)
I may not have brought a life into the world, but the love I extend to my nieces and nephews, to my great joy , has been the greatest blessing in my life. (Mommy Auntie is always there for them!)
Viewing the beautiful artwork of Blessed Mother and Baby Jesus I think of how young Mary herself was when she had our Lord. How totally obedient and trusting she was for such a very young person. It is a truly great lesson for all of us to follow. In the portrait of “Madonna del vela” I astutely observe the happiness and joy between Mother and Son. The book in the forefront may reveal that knowledge and reason are gifts to cultivate so that the mystery becomes a little clearer for those who seek truth. Again you can also see this with the fruit in the painting. Perhaps the fruit that grows from the tree of life or the fruit that caused the discourse in Eden until the birth of Baby Jesus who came to save us from original sin and gifted us a rebirth. Jesus’ tiny body shows an innocence, a purity that mortal sin was removed from man at His birth. Mary’s thumb and index digits both hands appear in a circle formation. To me this can express life eternal… a circle of life,death and life eternal.