A Reflection on Mary as a Model
of Faith During the Liturgical Year we celebrate the Blessed Virgin Mary’s being conceived without the stain of Original Sin and the fact she was bodily assumed into Heaven without undergoing the physical corruption of death. When we pray the Hail Mary we venerate her as the, "Mother of God." Because of Mary’s miraculous conception and death and her unique role in Salvation history I think we tend to think of her life on earth as being easier than it really was. We may assume that she sailed through life in the comfort of knowing God’s plan in its entirety. This was not the case, however. We have to remember that Gospels were not written as the events happened but afterwards. They were written after the Resurrection, after Jesus eternal triumph over Death and Sin. Unlike us, Mary did not have the advantage of reading the Gospels during her time on earth. She did not have the New Testament or 2,000 years of Church tradition and teaching to buttress her faith. Yet her faith was so complete, so strong that she never once in her life sinned. She maintained this faith in the face of incredible challenges and adversity. Mary was living quietly and devoutly in Nazareth when the Angel of the Lord announced to her that she was to "conceive and bear a son and give him the name Jesus." (Luke 1:31) Mary was betrothed to Joseph. Under Jewish law Joseph would have been within his rights to renounce the child and expose Mary to the punishment for adultery, death by stoning. Faced with all of this Mary’s response speaks for itself," I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say." Mary was forced to give birth in a stable lacking even the most rudimentary comforts to ease the pain of labor and delivery, but she did not complain. When Jesus was brought to the Temple to be presented to the Lord, Simeon told Mary, "This child is destined to be the downfall and the rise of many in Israel, a sign the will be opposed - and you yourself shall be pierced with a sword - so that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare." (Luke 2:32-33) Simeon’s words were indeed prophetic. It is impossible for us who view Jesus life through two thousand years of Christian Scripture and teaching to fully understand how radical Jesus appeared to most in the Jewish community. Jesus performed cures on the Sabbath. Instead of marveling at the miracles, the pillars of Jewish society, the scribes and Pharisees condemned Him. Jesus associated with taxpayers and others who were literally considered the scum of the earth by "proper" Jewish society. He even cured the daughter of a Roman soldier, in effect giving comfort to the enemy who oppressed the Jews. In short Jesus led, what was considered by most of His contemporaries, a scandalous life. Yet, Mary’s faith did not waver. Finally, Jesus was condemned to death by crucifixion. Unlike our society, capital punishment in Jesus time was commonplace. Crucifixion was reserved, however, for the most hated criminals. It was the most, brutal, painful death, the Romans could conceive of, and they were masters of delivering death. So, Mary saw her Son who had cured countless others, who had even raised the dead, accept this excruciatingly painful, this unbelievably humiliating death, without even lifting a finger to save Himself. God who had sent angels to announce Jesus conception and birth sent no one to save her Son from this terrible ordeal. We know that Jesus would rise from the dead on the following Sunday. As Mary watched her Son die a slow agonizing death on the Cross, she did not have any Easter accounts to comfort her. Yet, her faith did not waver. By the way she lived her life Mary has given us a model of Faith to help light the way as we strive to stay on the path that will lead to eternal Life.
This article was written by Al Fial
of Aurora, IL - Many thanks for his contribution. |
