Behold Your Mother: Jesus Gives Us His Mother and Expands the Family Circle

9/25/2012

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the Word Made Flesh, Jesus the Christ, was truly both God and Man. The Incarnation was central to the Christian claim. The One whom Mary bore was and is truly God and truly man.

I studied the historic background of the proclamation and came to understand what was truly at stake. When I read this simple proclamation of the Catechism of the catholic Church years later, "What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ."(CCC #487) it all made sense.

My study of early Church history revealed the presence of Marian piety and devotion, from the extraordinary frescoes in the catacombs to the reflections of the early church fathers on the significance of her role in salvation history and her continued role in the life of the Church. As my knowledge of the lives of the saints, and their prayer lives increased, I had to decide whether all of their writings about Mary reflected some kind of "bad theology" or, perhaps, I had missed something. Fortunately, I arrived at the proper conclusion.

But, even after all that, Mary was still to me the Mother of the Lord. I could accept in concept that she was a mother to the Church, but...not yet 'my Mother". The progression continued. It was only as I prayerfully reflected on the last hours of Jesus' earthly ministry recounted in the fourth Gospel, the one attributed to the beloved disciple John, that this all began to unfold and become personal for me.

"When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother'" (John 19: 26-27). Throughout the Church's rich history and Tradition great theologians, mystics, popes and saints have all viewed John as representing you and me. The last gift Jesus gave before giving every drop of His Sacred Blood was His mother.

We who are baptized are now "incorporated" into Christ. We live our lives now in His Body. The Head and the Body are eternally joined in a communion of love. St. Augustine - and countless Saints both East and West �" writes concerning the "whole Christ" as both head and body. (cf. Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:15). Everything Jesus has He has given to His Church. That includes His Mother. She is also the Mother of His Mystical Body, His Church and we are members of that family.

As the years unfolded I found that every one of the great influences in my Christian life from that communion of saints to which we are all joined was profoundly "Marian". Francis of Assissi, Bernard of Clairvaux, the early fathers, St Jose Maria Escriva, leading all the way up to my the one I call my champion, Blessed John Paul II, all had a deep love and devotion to Mary as Mother. I began to pray Blessed John Paul's prayer of consecration, "Totus Tuus" and made it my own. Then, the grace was given. This little Virgin from Nazareth whose "yes" brought heaven to earth and earth to heaven went from being the mother and a mother to - "my mother."

Our Catechism reminds us "What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ. "God sent forth his Son", but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, "a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary" (Lk. 1:26,27).

"Called in the Gospels "the mother of Jesus", Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as "the mother of my Lord". In fact, the One whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father's eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly "Mother of God" (Theotokos), (CCC, 495,496; Council of Ephesus, 431 AD).

For more reflections on Mary, the Mother of God, please visit our virtual pilgrimage site here. My readers can also order a book I wrote several years ago entitled "The Prayer of Mary: Living the Surrendered Life" here.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Mary, Mother of God, Marian, Marian piety, rosary, marian apparitions, Hail Mary, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

Valerie Bechtell
8 months ago
I am overwhelmed with love,my heart is exploding...Thank God for His constant care, and for you Dr. Fournier !
andrew
8 months ago

[Fifth Sorrowful Mystery] "Behold your Mother" and the prophesied sword pierces her heart. As was the custom in those days, a dying son would leave his widowed mother in safe hands if possible. Times were tough on widows then but, the prospect of such a life did not hurt Mary. She knows now that her son is telling her that he opts to die, like all humans, ordinary men, dust to dust, that he may not be who she thought he was. That hurts.
Well, the good news is that they both did what Jesus asked them to do. After all, was it not said during the marriage at Cana: "Do as he says". Some say that the beloved disciple took her to his home or as we say: "Home is where the heart is".
Paul F. Misura
8 months ago
I am a Revert too.
Bill Sr.
8 months ago
Let me add also..
We should recall the birth of Christ was a really very personal thing for one young woman as well as the amazing singular moment in time which changed the course of history for mankind's existence.

This awesome moment came about as a result of the decision that a young woman made nine months earlier when asked if the Spirit of the Most High God could be allowed to come into her very soul and body in order to bring salvation to suffering humanity. Frightened by the very presence of the Spirit of God to which she had dedicated her life there before her, yet certain of her desire to please her Lord she humbly surrendered herself to His personal plan for her and His universal plan for mankind. That decision, that surrender and that act of faith formed the foundation for what we proudly cherish as Christianity today.

Knowing this we need to view the joy of Christmas not only for God's great gift of His redeeming Son but also the opportunity to thank Mary for her most gracious and humble offering of total personal submission to the will of God for the benefit of all mankind. The shouts and praise hailed to all the kings of this world for their triumphs over the centuries are whispers compared to Mary's gentle but earthshaking voice that night when she softly answered "yes" to God and said "be it done unto me according to your Will".

So, with this perspective, whether we realize it or not we can and do in fact celebrate Christmas every time we devotedly and faithfully say "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death".
abey
8 months ago
That which was is what that which is. The words of Jesus regarding His Mother & Brothers do in no way Diminish the importance & role of Mary, but was expressing the utmost importance of our relationship with The Father, The very Life itself. He who came in the name of the Father does nothing else other than The Will of The Father to his words "Without the Father I can do nothing"& again "Me & The Father are one" , "Seeing me is seeing The Father" & 'No man comes to me except they be drawn to me by My Father" & only them will He accept. All of these make Him to be The Express Image of God even unto being of the same substance of The Father together with the Holy Spirit. When on the cross He he gave Mary, the new Eve as Mother to Apostle John & vice versa, the significance being that John who was under John the Baptist, was taken as a disciple by Jesus after the death of The Baptist who Himself was born in the Spirit & power of Elias to be an intermediate one between the old & new generation, but from John the Apostle was the Beginning of the new Generation until this day. to the words of Jesus "This Generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled" & unto this generation is given Mary as Mother, the eternal in the new Covenant, the Original covenant from Heaven. The Arc of the Covenant, with its emphasize on the 'Mercy Seat' can be stated as "In the Mercy of God came the Covenant which is the Fulness of Christ Jesus to the Grace" with the period called "The Dispensation of Grace" The Grace that which is greater than the law, as was told to St Paul by the words "My Grace is sufficient for you".
Bill Sr.
8 months ago
My Mother Mary…….yes, that Mary….
….who was living a simple life dedicated to serving the God of Israel from her very early childhood.
…who was full of grace and awaiting the angel's salutation to share a child with the Holy Spirit and carry our Lord in her womb for nine months that He might carry the Cross of Salvation for all of us.
…who, in union with God's plan, willfully in true charity and sacrifice accepted the prophecy, announced on her son's first visit to the temple by Simeon, because of this child that her heart would be pierced like none before her.
…who cared for and nourished that child sharing house, home, and daily family and personal exchanges of love and devotion with Him for thirty years as He grew to manhood.
…whose mutual love had so entwined its trust in her young son that it would allow Him leave of her for nearly two days journey in their humble land (a preview of his passion and burial) until she would become aware of His absence from friends and her own loving care.
…who, as His closest companion over many years, knew exactly where to look for Him upon her return to Jerusalem.
…who would accept His decision to "be about His Fathers work" but with a mothers love guided His youthful ambitions to a more proper time and place for fulfillment where at her wish and petition He initiated His ministry with the miracle at the wedding feast of Cana.
,,,who faithful to words of God to Simeon had to watch with a bleeding heart the horrid brutality thrust upon her child during His powerful passion.
…and finally that Mary, who though weeping in sorrow would be so willing to lovingly listened to and carry out her son's dying request along side the disciple whom He loved well that she now take John under her wing in place of Him and that John in turn protect and defend her among men until she rejoined her son the Prince of Peace in heaven.
This Mary, the world's very first "Christian", is my mother and should be recognized in faith as truly the mother of all Christians.
KATHY
8 months ago
As a convert, I had a hard time with "Mary". I began to go to daily Mass, and encountered a group of women who prayed the Rosary before Mass. I began to go early and joined in the daily Rosary. I didn't know if I really believed what I was praying...I asked Mary to help me...and could feel her being so very patient with me. Then on day, I read the verse...."behold your Mother". I literally jumped for joy. I cried tears of much joy. I now feel that I have a special relationship with Mary, my Mother. I felt her tell me to increase my devotion to her...many prayers have been answered...one being my son turning away from a cult that had a grip on him, that I could not even talk with my son any longer. One day, he came out of his room, with tears, and told me that it was over, and that all of a sudden knew that what he was involved with was wrong. I have spoken to him about the Catholic Church, and he is open to learning more. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIM. And I thank the blessed Mother for her prayers too.
Kasoy
8 months ago
Jesus was not satisfied with giving us His Body, Blood, Soul, Divinity in the sacred host to refresh us on our pilgrimage to heaven. He left us His Immaculate Mother as our spiritual mother to help and guide us especially in times of great distress and suffering. Let's remember to ask the help of our Mother of Perpetual Help in this time of growing persecution of truly obedient Christians in our nation.

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