Sunday, November 21 : Saint Aelred of Rielvaux

The sovereign Father has sent us the true Joseph today “to see his brothers and their flocks” (cf. Gn 37,14). This is most surely that Joseph whom his father loved best of all his brothers” (v.3)… He it is, the one more loved, more intelligent, more splendid than all the others; it is he whom God the Father has sent out today… “Whom shall I send, says God the Father, and who will go for us?” (Is 6,8). The Son replies: “Behold, I myself will go in search of my sheep” (cf. Ez 34,11). Leaving the heights of heaven, he comes down “into the valley of Hebron” (cf. Gn 37,14). Adam had traversed the mountain of pride; the Son of God descends into the vale of humility. Today he finds a valley to come down into. Where is it to be found? Not in you, O Eve, mother of our misfortune, not in you… but in the blessed Mary. She is indeed that vale of Hebron by reason of her humility and because of her might… She is strong because she shares in the strength of him of whom it is written: “The Lord is strong and mighty” (Ps 24[23],8). She is that woman of worth so greatly desired by Solomon, who said: “A worthy woman, who can find her?” (Pr 31,10)… Even though Eve was created in paradise, without corruption, infirmity or pain, she showed herself so weak and sickly. So “who will find a worthy woman?” Can we find in misfortune here below what could not be found in happiness beyond? Can we find her in this vale of tears when we were not able to find her in the happiness of Paradise?… Today – yes, today! – she has been found. God the Father has found this woman so as to make her holy; the Son has found her so as to dwell in her; the Holy Spirit has found her so as to enlighten her… The angel has found so as to greet her thus: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you”. This is she, the woman who is worthy. In her, seriousness, humility and virginity are opposed to curiosity, vanity, seductiveness. It is written: “The angel will go in to you”. She was not found facing outwards, to what is external, then; she was within, in her secret room where she was praying to the Father in secret (Mt 6,6).

maronite readings – rosary,team