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,