Mother Mary

Fr. Leo Pabayo

GOD willed from all eternity that a virgin should become the mother of the Savior of the world. This became discernible to the prophets who were disposed to receive revelations from God. One prophet’s discernment of this revelation from God stood out in particular. This was Isaiah who spoke of this to the Israelite King Ahaz.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah, 7, 14). The virgin prophesied would eventually be Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her becoming the mother of the Savior made very real the truth that man would be saved from sin also by man. Without Mary saying yes to God when she was told by the angel that she would be the mother of the Savior the decisive beginning of the Messiah’s work of salvation would not have begun.

From the very beginning therefore Mary was called by God to have an important role in the work of saving the world. To live up to her calling or vocation, Mary was spared by God from sin from the beginning of her life when she was immaculately conceived in the womb of her own mother St. Anne. She was greatly blessed and enjoyed the fullness of grace by this. The special qualities of Mary would be enshrined in the Gospel and the Tradition of the Church.

Addressing her as blessed would be repeated every day by the faithful whenever they pray the prayer “Hail Mary.”

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby (St. John the Baptist) in her womb leaped for joy. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and in loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed.” (Luke 1:41-48)

It is evident from the Gospel that God has given Mary a very important role in what is called “the economy of salvation.” Mary continues to perform that role until now. Her special role in Jesus’ work of saving mankind was most evident in the very early in the life of Jesus. This was when he was conceived in her womb and became a full time mother to Jesus during his gestation in her womb, his birth and early childhood.

Of everything that happened to Jesus or what Jesus did, the Gospel writer never failed to point out that Mary “pondered all these things in her heart.” In other words she thought a lot, reflected and contemplated the many things that that happened in the life of Jesus.

This was so at the moment that she said yes to God during the annunciation of the Angel Gabriel. This was so when Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. This was so when Jesus was lost from their caravan on the way back to Nazareth and found by Mary and Joseph in the temple discussing with the priests and the rabbis.

Mary’s important role in the work of salvation was evident also in that statement of the Gospel that that says. “Jesus went back to Nazareth with his parents and was obedient to them. In this way he grew up in strength, wisdom and grace before God and man.”

Like all of us in our childhood Jesus learned the good things about being human through his human mother Mary and foster father Joseph. Thus there was so much of Mary and Joseph in Jesus.

The humanity of Jesus was particularized by being born as a Jew with a Jewish mother and being among the people that accepted the call of God to prepare for his coming as man. It was further particularized in being the son of Mary and foster father Joseph growing up in a small town of Nazareth with the particular culture of that town about which led some Jews to ask, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

We have come to know so much about Mary because she was present in the most significant moments in the life of Jesus. She was there Jesus first saw the light of day after she gave birth to him. She was there when he first became aware of being the Son of God the Father from all eternity.  She was there at the crucifixion of Jesus where Jesus gave her to become the mother of his disciples. “Mother this is your son. Son, this is your mother.” (John 19: 26-27).

Aside from the Gospel we have come to know her from the oral tradition of the Church that were formed during apostolic times, especially from the apostles she was closest to like the apostle John. She would make her presence very much felt after the descent of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. She is well known for her appearances to the faithful throughout the history of the Church.

There is a temptation to regard Mary as having no special role in the work of salvation. Any doubt on this has been dispelled by the growing knowledge about her in biblical studies, in theological reflections of great theologians and the spiritual writings of the saints.

She is most known to the children, the childlike and humble disciples through her many apparitions and the popular devotions to her.