"Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?" - Song of Songs 6:10
8: THE LEGIONARY AND THE EUCHARIST (pg. 47 – pg. 49) The Eucharistic Celebration contains two parts. One is The Liturgy of the Word and the other is The Liturgy of the Eucharist. For the liturgy of the Word, let me quote what USCCB had said: “Most of the Liturgy of the Word is made up of readings from Scripture. On Sundays and solemnities, there are three Scripture readings. During most of the year, the first reading is from the Old Testament and the second reading is from one of the New Testament letters. During Easter Time, the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles which tells the story of the Church in its earliest days. The last reading is always taken from one of the four Gospels.
In the Liturgy of the Word, the Church feeds the people of God from the table of his Word (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 51). The Scriptures are the word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In the Scriptures, God speaks to us, leading us along the path to salvation.
The Responsorial Psalm is sung between the readings. The psalm helps us to meditate on the word of God.
The high point of the Liturgy of the Word is the reading of the Gospel. Because the Gospels tell of the life, ministry, and preaching of Christ, it receives several special signs of honor and reverence. The gathered assembly stands to hear the Gospel and it is introduced by an acclamation of praise. Apart from Lent, that acclamation is "Alleluia," derived from a Hebrew phrase meaning "Praise the Lord!" A deacon (or, if no deacon is present, a priest) reads the Gospel.
After the Scripture readings, the celebrant preaches the homily. In the homily, the preacher focuses on the Scripture texts or some other texts from the liturgy, drawing from them lessons that may help us to live better lives, more faithful to Christ's call to grow in holiness.”
The handbook says: “As we participate in the celebration of the Word, our Lady is our model for she is the attentive Virgin who receives the word of God with faith, that faith which in her case was the gateway and path to the divine motherhood”. What does that mean? Because of her faith, she responded, “fiat” which is, “Let it be unto me according to thy word.” Her fiat is the sober declaration of one who sees that the Divine will is everything. This is her faith and this is how the divine Word was conceived in her womb, and this is her faith to be the mother of God. And this is also why the handbook continues its saying: “Our Blessed Lord did not begin his work of redemption without the consent of Mary, solemnly asked and freely given.”
I also love the portion of the handbook that discusses the representatives of the Roman Legion. The Centurion and his men, with Mary on Calvary, took a mournful part in the offering of the Victim. The book said they did not know they were crucifying the Lord of Glory. To be honest with you, most of the time, we also do not know what we are doing. Do we not? The legion is a basic military unit of the ancient Roman army.
The basic military unit contains a group of soldiers who are well trained and disciplined to be combat ready to kill and to fight for the country. Yet “on Calvary it enabled the Centurion to see life in death, and to recognize in a dying breath the sovereign Spirit. Looking upon their dead and disfigured victim, the legionaries proclaimed him to be the very Son of God.”
My brothers and sisters, we are the legion of Mary, the soldiers of Mary, we also should be well trained and well disciplined. We need to be combat ready and to kill and to fight. What do I mean for “to kill and to fight?” To kill is to kill our own deadly sins and bad habits, and to fight is to fight for the souls that were contaminated and captured by the secular world and the demons.
So, we are the essential part of Mary, and we do not run away but stand firmly beside her, for “when she stands at her Son’s side when her beloved Son was consummating the redemption of mankind on the altar of the cross, suffering and redeeming with him.” (Pope Pius XI) And we should hold onto this understanding when visiting the sick and the needy, Mary will be with us, giving us a share and part in her administration of graces, so that on each and all of those we meet and work for are lavished with the infinite treasures of redemption.
By knowing all of these, my dear brothers and sisters, the legion of Mary, are we ready?