THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
By Kattukaren Devassy Paul
Mary , the mother of Jesus , evokes the image of motherhood .She is the woman blessed by God to be our human link to God. The devotions to our Lady are so strong today after the appearances of our Lady at Lourdes, Velankani(India) etc. The Mahim church at Mumbai(India) are filled with as many number of non – Christians, Christians and Catholics . On the day of the Novena , people overflow out of the church onto the main road.
Who is this woman to whom the world prays on bended knees "Hail Mary, full of Grace, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."
Let me from the Bible tell you the story of Mary :
“God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a girl promised in marriage to a man called Joseph, who was a descendent of King David. The girl’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said , “Peace be with you ! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you !”
Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message ,and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her , “Don’t be afraid, Mary ; God has been gracious to you . You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus .He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendents of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end !”
Mary said to the angel, "I am a virgin .How then, can this be ?"
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you , and God’s power will
.Rest upon you. For this reason the child will be called the Son of God .
Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children,
But she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. For
here is nothing that God cannot do.”
“I am the servant of the Lord,” said Mary ; “be it done to me according to thy word “
(Luke 1 :26 – 38 )
Then we have Mary visiting Elizabeth and the Magnificat –Mary’s song of praise to the Lord : ( this Magnificat holds a special place in the Catholic Church)
Mary said ,
My heart praises the Lord ;
My soul is glad because of God my Saviour,
For he has remembered me , his lowly servant!
From now on all people will call me blessed,
Because of the great things the Mighty God
Has done for me.
His name is Holy;
From one generation to another
He shows his mercy to those who honour him
He has stretched out his mighty arm
And scattered the proud with all their plans .
He has brought down mighty kings from their thrones,
And lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things ,
And sent the rich away with empty hands .
He has kept the promise he made to our ancestors,
And has come to the help of his servant Israel.
He has remembered to show mercy to Abraham and
To all his descendents for ever!
(Luke 1 : 46 – 55 )
And , then there is the story of Christmas .
Emperor Augustus ordered a census throughout the Roman Empire .Joseph who was descendent of King David had to go to Judea , the birthplace of King David.
And you all know the story of how when the time came for her – she gave birth to a son , Jesus , in the stable of a manger of an inn . Shepherds came to bow before the Son of God became Man and Kings from the East came to worship him.
The story of Christmas brings out the joys and pangs of motherhood which Mary had gone through. But this mother suffered much more and rejoiced much more than other mothers because her son was Jesus.
We have the Presentation of Jesus at the temple where Simeon and Anna see who the child really is . Their joy and praises make “the child’s father and mother amazed “(Luke 1 ; 33)
And St. Luke goes on to say :When Joseph and Mary had finished doing what was required by the law of the Lord, they returned to their home town of Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom ,and God’s blessings were upon him (Luke 1 : 39 – 40 ).
We have the incident where Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast and imagine what they must have gone through when they realized that their son, Jesus was missing. They found him teaching in the temple and how sad Mary must have felt when Jesus said “Woman, don’t you know I must be about my father’s business !”
And St Luke says it beautifully : Jesus went back with them to Nazareth where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. Jesus grew both in body and wisdom , gaining favour with God and men.
We intercede through Mary to Jesus for we know she can understand our pain . At the marriage at Cana, she is seized with the problem of the marriage party and she says to her son with simple concern, love and authority; Son , they have no wine.
Jesus tells her that his time has not come – but she knows her son will not refuse her and she asks the stewards to do as Jesus says .
The other passage in the life of Mary that has touched me is when the mother meets her son carrying the Cross on his way to be crucified. What a sword must have pierced her heart. Her innocent son , the Son of God , and this shameful death !
Only His mother was by His side when he died . And Mary His mother . She wept.
