Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I’ve known Mary most of my life. I remember learning my prayers as a young child and being taught the Hail Mary. It didn’t make much sense to me, honestly, at that young age, but I knew there was something about Mary that was special or my parents wouldn’t have taught me the prayer. And so began my relationship with Mary.
The older I got, the more I started noticing Mary. She was everywhere. There was a statue of her at our Church. There was a statue of her in every room of St. Joseph’s Academy where I went to school. She was in the nativity set. She was on the medal I won in 1st grade for a spelling bee. When I learned in school that she was Jesus’ mom, I had to agree that made her pretty special.
As I continued my formation in the Catholic Christian faith, I learned that we are all sisters and brothers in Christ. And I remember the “AHA” moment like it was yesterday, suddenly I understood why she wasn’t just Jesus’ mom, she was my spiritual mom, too. So began my kinship with Mary. And when I prayed the Hail Mary, I really felt like she was listening, like a mom can hear her child stir in the middle of the night even though they are rooms apart.
When I started studying scripture I was struck by Mary’s faith when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. I could see why the LORD would pick her; truly the depth of her trust in the LORD made her right for the job. When I read the Gospel of John and realized that she was responsible for Jesus’ first miracle in that He did it for her even though he told her his time had not come yet, I recognized the power she has with Jesus and the depth of the love between them. It hit me then, she was also Jesus’ first disciple, the first to recognize Jesus’ true identity and what it would mean for the world. Finally, when I read the accounts in the Gospels of Jesus’ death on the cross and Mary’s presence there, I understood that she also was the best disciple, staying with Jesus and suffering the greatest with Jesus.
Then one day in Church, I walked up to the statue of Mary holding Baby Jesus and looked up. I can’t explain it other than to say that in that instance it was as if she truly spoke to me saying, “Take him.” And the term “bearer of Jesus” took on new meaning for me. I promised in that moment that I would. And I have tried ever since to be a “bearer of Jesus” wherever I go ever since.
If you visit my home, you will notice probably that there is an image of Mary in every room. Her image inspires me to be “a bearer of Christ.” Her image prompts me to be a disciple who is willing, hopefully, to follow Jesus wherever He takes me, even when it involves suffering. And I pray for her intercession, my spiritual mother, because I believe she will intercede for me with Jesus as she did for the wedding couple at Cana.
As we continue on our journeys of faith, those of us who seek to follow Christ through this life to life abundant, let us look to the Blessed Mother Mary who has shown us the magnitude of humble and sincere faith in the LORD and who has modeled for us discipleship even in, especially in, difficult times. Let us turn to her for her motherly intercession on our behalf through prayer.
Until tomorrow, love well.
NOTE: My favorite image of Mary is probably the beautiful oil painting of her holding the baby Jesus, given to me by the artist, my friend, Linda Holden Miller. It is the painting featured with today's post.
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