Mother Mary
Mary, as our loving
Mother with all her human and divine Virtues and qualities how do you explain
her Motherhood as a model of our human mothers in Asian contexts (in
theological & spiritual perspective)?
Mother is the nearest and dearest person for
every human being. The word mother sounds very sweet and pleasant to us.
Without a mother there is no existence of any human being. Our mother is the
sole means for us to come into this world. In every family, from beginning to
end, mother plays an important role in bringing up the children, taking care of
them, ensuring the welfare of the whole family.
What is Motherhood
A woman’s greatest joy
is when she brings a child into the world. Through this a woman becomes a
mother. Motherhood always establishes a unique and unrepeatable relationship
between two people, mother and child. Even when a woman has many children, her
personal relationship with each one of them is unique. Each child is surrounded
by the maternal love he or she needs most in coming to maturity as a human
being.
Who is Mary?
‘Mary comes from the
Hebrew word ‘Mariam’ which means ‘beloved of Yahweh’, God –loved, and
‘Theophila. God’s Beloved’. No child of man has been better loved or more
richly favored by God than she. After the annunciation the thought of God moved
her to an outburst of Holy joy: My spirit rejoices in God my savior
(Magnificat)’, ‘She played a great role in salvation History, She whose whole
center was Jesus. According to God’s plan, the incarnate Jesus took Mary’s
Flesh in her womb. Hence as a true faithful person she became the first to
receive Jesus into the World.
Motherhood of Mary
Human motherhood is an
original relationship between spiritual and immortal person, a relationship
which contracted by bodily means though it is one which transcends the body.
The mother is the immediate principle of her child’s substantial being, the
image of his own nature. Mary, by the grace of God, was to contract a new
status that was supernatural and divine since here was a supernatural and divine
motherhood. By virtue of God’s ordaining, her motherhood was the result of
consent (Lk. 1:28-38).
Mary’s Motherhood is the
model of human motherhood because she is the mother of the Holy Family. Mary is
the model of virgin mother because of her total dedication to the kingdom of
God and its values. Her virginal motherhood is the model because of her
universal love. As a mother, Mary is the model of the Church who is the mother
of all her children. Mary is the model of faith, hope charity, obedience,
humility and suffering, to name only a few of her pre-eminent virtues. She is a
holy, humble, simple woman, because of these qualities and virtues, Mary is our
loving Mother.
Mary: An image of our
loving Mother with all her qualities and Virtues.
It is by God’s grace
that she becomes the Mother of Jesus but she was also graced with human
qualities that prepared her to be a loving mother. Although the Gospels have
little to say about Mary’s virtues, they tell us that she was fully graced.
This implies that she possessed all virtues in a heroic degree. Since Mary is
from Asia, all her human qualities and virtues are very much similar to our
Asian mothers’ virtues and qualities. Such as: beloved, simplicity, humility,
charity, obedience, courageous, self confident, hospitality, helping hand,
compassion, suffering in silent, patience etc. John Paul II, in the closing
paragraph of his Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia, highly appreciates the
fact the Asian Christians who have great love for Mary, “revering her as their
own Mother and Mother of Christ.” He entrusts the Church of Asia to Mother
Mary, model of discipleship and bright “Star of Evangelization’. In a prayer to
Mary, he calls her the “Mother of Asia”.
Mary is an Image of
Loving mother
A woman’s greatest joy
is when she brings a child into the world. The joy of love goes out in two
directions; one is horizontal, through the extension of love in the family; the
other is vertical, a mounting to God with our thanks because He is the source
of all love. Wherein the ecstasy of love comes from, it is only natural that
its joy should break out into song, as it does in the Magnificat of Mary.
“Mary,
the Queen of song, now sings a different song from other mothers. All mothers
sing to their babes but here is one mother who sings before the Babe is born.
She says only a Ficat to an angel; she says nothing to Joseph, but she chants
verse upon verse of a song to God, who looked down on the humility of His
handmaid. As the infant leaped in the womb of Elizabeth, so a song leaped to
Mary’s lips; for if a human heart can so thrill to ecstasy, what joy did she
know, who was in love with the Great Heart of God!”
Like a mother of Asia
Mary loves her beloved son until the end of death of her Son. Though she went
through a lot of suffering but she never disappointed.
1. Virtues of the Virgin
Mother of Mary: Theological perspective
Mary declares herself
the handmaid of the Lord. This is the great expression of faith of the Blessed
Virgin Mary to God the Father. That is why she is a model of faith, hope,
charity and obedience in the Christian life. She lived her life in total
obedience to God and forgetfulness of self, and together with Joseph, she
watched over the child Jesus. Because she was ready to be an instrument in the
hands of God, even when it seemed that such readiness would bring possible
rejection from Joseph and disgrace from the society, she was highly favored to
be Mother of the Savior.
Mary, Model of Faith,
Hope and Love
Mary, the mother and the
first disciple of Jesus, emerges as a perfect Christian and the best model of
faith, hope and love to all members of the Church. The Constitution on the
Church Lumen Gentium of Vatican II states:
“Seeking after the glory
of Christ, the Church becomes more like [Mary], and continually progresses in
faith, hope and charity, seeking and doing the will of God in all things. the
Church, therefore,.... rightly looks to [Mary] who gave birth to Christ, who
was thus conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that
through the Church he could be born and increase in the hearts of the
faithful.”
Mary as model of faith:
Mary inspires all
Christians to respond as she did the God’s call when the angel Gabriel came to
her: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, Let it me according to your word”
(Lk.1:38) this faith of Mary, “let it be to me,” was the most important word in
favor of humanity. The incarnation was accomplished when Mary uttered her Fiat.
The divine plan depended upon her faith. At the wedding feast of Cana when the
wine runs short, an occasion for public embarrassment, Mary comments on the
lack of it, then request the waiters to “do whatever he tells you” ( Jn. 2:50)
Here the evangelist describes Mary’s response to Jesus in such a way that her
faith is never in doubt. She demonstrates that relationship to Jesus is based
on her faith in him, and not merely on their biological relationship.
Mary was the first to
believe, when the angel Gabriel greeted her and the first to be redeemed by her
own son at her Immaculate Conception. As Mother of the church her virtues
encourage all of us to imitate her in loving God and each other and the
practice has long been regarded as a sure way to Christian perfection. So, Mary
as the morning star radiates the virtues and encourages Christian to imitate
her example in their own earthly pilgrimage. “Theresa of Avila writes: Grow
strong in faith, keep steadfast in hope, overflow with charity for all,
practice all endeavors in total humility and rest in patience. Work diligently in
perseverance and always remain in complete obedience to God
Mary as Model of Hope
In order to put all our
hope in Christ, we must follow Mary’s example. From the Annunciation to the
Visitation, Mary’s hope remained firm and constant. After Jesus was born, from
her encounter with Simeon (Lk.2:25-35), to Cana (Jn. 2:3), and to the foot of
the cross while Jesus was dying (Jn. 19:26-27), never did a shadow of distrust
pass over her soul. Mary’s hope and expectation in her Son was steadfast, and
we know that her hope was not in vain.
“Mary did not hesitate
to sing her Magnificat to proclaim God’s generosity. God had done “great
things” for her. She had the sure hope that what was promised her would be
fulfilled (Lk. 1:45). So Mary believed, prayed, hoped and rejoiced. With
absolute trust in God, Mary awaited the coming of the Messiah and his
kingdom(Lk. 1:35). Her life was a pilgrimage of faith and hope. Mary was the
pioneer in the new messianic community characterized by faith, hope and
expectation. Her hope is an appeal to us to enter a communion of love with God
and to radiate this love to our brothers and sisters still on pilgrimage in
this world”.
Mary as Model of
Charity/ Love
When the Angel Gabriel
gave Mary the news that she would have a son, he also told her that her sister
Elizabeth was going to give birth in her old age. Without thinking of herself,
Mary went to Judea to be with her sister and stayed with her three months. We
have already seen how Mary’s charity illumined the miracle in Cana and throughout
the Gospel wherever she is mentioned. The highest example of love for Mary was
to sacrifice her son for the whole of humanity. The Virgin Mary always had the
most ardent love and abundant piety and mercy, and from her charity, in order
to please God, she thought, spoke, and acted as a perfect follower of Christ.
Christians follow her example when they practice the corporal and works of
mercy.
2. Mary: An image of our
loving Mother with all her human qualities: Spiritual perspective
Mary as Model of
Obedience
The Virgin Mary was
always most obedient not only to God, but for God’s sake, also to men. Out of
her obedience in order to please God, she thought, spoke and acted in the
following ways: In obedience she conceived God, and when the days of her purification
were completed she presented her Son in the temple, there offering a pair of
turtle doves or pigeons. In obedience to Caesar she went to Bethlehem, and
there she declared her submission to Emperor. Mary learned her obedience
through faith; as she obeyed God she suffered. Her obedience is the most
perfect of all for human beings. She obeyed God and cooperated in the history
of our salvation.
Mary as Model of
Suffering
The Virgin Mary’s life
was adorned with virtue, but also with profound suffering. She was exposed to
psychological pain when Joseph suspected her. She found no suitable place where
she could give birth to her Son. She spent two years or more in Egypt. She
suffered much under the cross of her only son. She knew that disciples had fled
out of fear and that one of them had betrayed Him. Her suffering continued at
the time of the burial when the stone was placed at the entrance to the tomb.
This is what Simeon the elder had prophesied: A sword will pierce through your
own soul (Lk. 2:35). Mary was always most patients in suffering, and out of her
patience, she fulfilled what the Apostle Paul would one day write to Corinthian
Christian: If only suffer with him we shall also reign with him (1 Cor. 15:52).
Mary models her acceptance of suffering, teaching us how we, too, can remain
faithful to the end through our suffering.
Mary as model of
humility:
“Behold, I am the
handmaid of the Lord, Let it me according to your word” (Lk.1:38). This is the
highest expression of humility for Mary. She had total freedom to refuse the
call of God but rather than refuse, she humbled herself and wanted to do
everything according to the will of God. Out of humility, in order to please
God, she thought, spoke and acted in the following way: Although she was
troubled and made fearful by Gabriel’s praise, she replied humbly, ‘let it be
for me.’ Through the incomparable example of her own “pilgrimage of faith”,
Mary obtains for us in abundance the gifts of the Holy Spirit. As we
contemplate with her each mystery of her son’s life, she invites us to do as
she did at the annunciation: To ask humbly the questions which opens us to the
light, in order to end with the obedience of faith. In this way, Mary is the
model of humility for all Christian in the world.
Mary, model of
Simplicity
Luke presents Mary as a
simple woman, who is no prominent figure in society, In the Annunciation
narrative; Mary identifies herself as a simple woman: “I am the handmaid of the
Lord....” Mary never boasted of her privilege to become the Lord’s mother;
rather she always remained simple and humble. Like Mary,
posted by Johnastine @ 00:53
0 Comments
