Family is a sanctuary of God: Motherhood and Divinity

"Mary Most Simple – a woman in love with her God and her family!

During the month of May, we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. We see her as holy. After all, she is the Queen of Heaven and Earth. She is the Mother of God.

Like Mary, we are called God’s beloved daughters and sons, the temples of the Holy Spirit, and the bearers of Christ to the world. But we look at Mary and can sometimes be overwhelmed by how far above us she is.

Yet, Mary saw herself simply as “the handmaid of the Lord.” Her greatness is really in her simplicity as a simple, down-to-earth person. As a young lady, Mary followed the simple custom of engagement so the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel troubled and surprised her. But in trust, she consented to the normal role of being with child, married Joseph and gave birth. She nursed and weaned her child. With Joseph, she taught her child to talk, walk and read, like other parents. Mary cooked, hauled water, and cleaned house. She decorated for celebrations and planned surprises. She loved, pondered and treasured.

Mary initiated the miracle at the wedding in Cana. She hastened to see Jesus when some said that he had gone mad. She walked with Jesus on his Via Dolorosa and stood at his cross. She embraced his dead body and buried her beloved son. She served as a mother to the friends and followers of Jesus. She showed them how to wait upon the Spirit. On Pentecost, she was with them as the Word again became Flesh – their flesh – in the power of the Holy Spirit. She was assumed to heaven, taken body and soul, to our eternal heavenly home. And there, she is present to us always as our Mother, Queen of Peace, Mother of the Church.

This Mary Most Simple simply lived her daily life extraordinarily well. In this year of Faith, we would do well to imitate the faith of Mary, who trusted in God. “Let it be done unto me according to your word,” she would say. Her faith was a confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and convictions about things we do not see. She trusted God. Her faith was solid.

Like Mary, we can find confident assurance that everything is going to be alright. Faith reminds us that all things are not made easy, but all things are made possible. Faith reminds us that whatever the situation is, God will handle it and God is still in control. Or, as the Letter to the Hebrews says: “Faith is confident assurance concerning what we hope for, and conviction about things we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1).

But, how do we live like Mary in our day? Our world needs love and mercy! St. Paul, in his letter to the Colossians listed virtues that will help us to live like Mary. He says we should possess heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. But then he says: “Over all these virtues, put on love.” And why? Because if we have love, we WILL be compassionate; we will be kind and gentle. We will be able to serve God by caring for the people in our lives.

We can be a legion of love in the name of the God of love, a legion of mercy built on the example of Mary, Mother of the Church."( Most. Rev. Bishop Steib, 2013)

In the above article, Rev. Bishop addresses the Motherhood of Mary including her human side and the divine call of her life. I am intrigued by this article. Reflecting on this article has brought forth last two articles and which has opened the discussion on motherhood's human nature and divine nature.  In the last two articles, I reflected upon the human side of a human mother. Now let me place another aspect of Motherhood which is a divine side of motherhood which is a sacred call of life. I believe all mothers have a call to fulfill by their motherhood role. The role model for the divine side of the motherhood is none other than our heavenly Mother blessed Virgin Mary. 

Allow me to ponder Jesus days when He walked this earth as a human. Jesus had a soft heart for mothers. Of all the intercessions, the mothers made for their children, He granted their wishes and performed many miracles on their behalf. When, I think of the miracles He performed at the request of human Mothers for their children,which make me to see the merciful heart of God for mothers. When I think that Jesus granted the prayers of the mothers, it gives me hope in mothers' prayers, which are valiant immunity to the children against the wickedness and snares of the devil. Mothers' prayers have capacity to move Jesus's heart. Mothers' prayers have power to mobilize the faith where human interventions have no use. Mothers' intercessions are heard by Jesus with most attention, as mothers have genuine love for their children. When I say mothers, I include fathers too. There is no motherhood without a father. Motherhood gets its self actualization with the support of the fatherhood. Motherhood transforms to its fullness with the participation and support of the fatherhood. Prayers of mothers are so valiant, so powerful in the conversion and protection of children, even when they have fledged from the nest. There is no limit or end to a mothers' prayers. Mothers' prayers for children exist as long as she lives, whether children acknowledge it or not and irrespective of children appreciation or gratitude. A mother is a mother always in good times and in bad times. The only soul who will accept, forgive, and love the children unconditionally always is a mother's heart. This applies to all the human mothers. 

We have another mother, who is our heavenly mother, the Mother of God, who is our divine mother, mother of our faith and mother of all creation in Jesus Christ. While human mothers interceded for their children needs, our heavenly mother interceded for another family or other children needs, at the wedding of Cannon. While human mothers prayers were answered by Jesus by His mercy in His time, our heavenly mother's intercession brought the answers in faith even, when Jesus thought His time has not yet arrived, which is an extraordinary fulfillment of mother''s request. While human mothers' intercessions were natural, heavenly mother the Mother of God intercession was supernatural, in which Jesus turned water into wine, which was His first miracle. The faith of Mother of God moved Jesus heart even when His time had not come? We have such a valiant eternal interceding mother. I thank God for our divine mother, Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Happy Mother's day to our divine heavenly mother the Blessed Virgin Mary!