Mary is Our Mother
One resolution I have for this new year is to grow closer to the Blessed Mother, because I know she will help me to go deeper into my relationship with Jesus. With Christmas coming to a close soon sadly, Mary might be forgotten by some. She certainly had her role in the Nativity story, but she didn't stop being Jesus's mother when he began his ministry. She witnessed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2) and stood at the foot of the cross in the hour of his death (John 19). Just as she was given to John in John 19:26-27, she is given to all Christians to help and guide us closer to her son.
A Biblical Way to Honor Mary
I find it interesting that some Protestants will claim that Mary is just a woman, trying to say that although it's great that Mary humbly accepted her role in salvation history and became the mother of the Savior, that Catholics put too much emphasis on Mary, with all the statues and hymns and special prayers and devotions, etc.; but let's not forget about what the Bible says about her: (I'll be referencing the NIV translation for these verses, since most Protestants I know of don't own a Catholic translation like the one I typically use.) According to the angel Gabriel, Mary is "highly favored" (Luke 1:28). Elizabeth her cousin also affirms her holy status, declaring, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!" (Luke 1:42). Mary herself, in her great song of praise and thanksgiving for God's goodness, says that "From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name" (Luke 1:49).
How often does modern Christian culture refer to Mary as blessed, not only in the Christmas season, but also in the here and now? I am sure that if Christians repeated those two verses (Luke 1:28, Luke 1:42) on a regular basis, we could more easily call to mind Mary's yes to God's plan, and more easily follow God's plan for our own lives.
(Fun fact, those two verse put together form the first half of a Catholic prayer known as the Hail Mary, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus," so if a Protestant was uncomfortable with the idea of talking to Mary, they could just recite the first half of the prayer, which is entirely biblical. I recently learned that this first half was the only part said during the Middle Ages. the latter half was added on later.)
Mary is a good mother, she's not there to compete with Jesus for your love. If you begin to worry that you are focusing too much of your spiritual life on Mary, take the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe to heart, "Never be afraid to love Mary. You will never love her more than Jesus does."
Comments