Mary’s pain and the passion of her son
Hope in the midst of pain
Hope in the midst of pain
During this month of May, it is good to reflect on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blessed Marmion notes: “The Word not only predestined Mary to be his mother according to His Humanity … but He associated her in His mysteries.” (Christ the Life of the Soul, p. 345) Mary is the prime model for living our lives, to make sure that our lives are associated with the mysteries of Christ, especially his passion and death.
During this month of May, it is good to reflect on the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blessed Marmion notes: “The Word not only predestined Mary to be his mother according to His Humanity … but He associated her in His mysteries.” (Christ the Life of the Soul, p. 345) Mary is the prime model for living our lives, to make sure that our lives are associated with the mysteries of Christ, especially his passion and death.
Mary experiences the complete fruitlessness of her life. This is her only child, and this child is now childless himself and is dying. Mary’s natural maternal instincts must revolt at this. She is without progeny. Yet even here she is fully sharing in the great mystery of Jesus Christ. Jesus, on the Cross, has experienced the abandonment of the Father. The Father did not will that the cup pass him by but that he drink to the dregs this human experience of death and alienation. Jesus lets Mary share that fully.
We, too, are meant to share in this aspect of the passion of our Lord. The passion and death of Jesus are to be a part of our day-to-day life, something that will develop in us Christ’s compassion, which is the mark of all his followers. There is so much suffering in our world. There is so much alienation. There is so much pain. We should be tapping into our own loss regularly so that sharing in the Cross is not just notional but is in fact very real.
Now, of course, we know this is not the end. Jesus does not ignore his mother. Jesus gives his mother to us as the mother of all his new brothers and sisters. Fruitfulness, both for Jesus and for Mary and for all of us, has been redefined. It is the complete abandonment of ourselves to God’s holy will that allows us to become a new creation. Mary is now the Mother of the body of Christ, a progeny beyond anyone’s imagination, a progeny born in the blood and water flowing from the side of Christ and given breath by the Holy Spirit. Discipleship is not just about me following Jesus but about all of us together following Jesus. Our life must be a clear sign that we belong to a band of disciples. We are never on our own as his followers because our Lord wants us always linked to his mother and to the other disciples.
Finally, let us watch Mary gathering with the disciples in the Upper Room, awaiting the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:14) Mary is the teacher of prayer and the teacher of openness to the Holy Spirit. In a sense this is the most important role she can play. Here, she is a real source of confidence for us, the real mother of the Church. During this month, “Mary, our Mother, pray for us.”
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Earl Boyea
Bishop of Lansing
