Our Lady

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Mary Her Life of Prayer

Mary Leads in Prayer

Mary from the beginning was a woman who inherently embraced prayer as a way of life, it was not a ritual for her, but was the cornerstone of her life, for she nourished prayer as she had nourished her Son.

This would have been a part of their lives from the beginning, and it would have been as a family that they would have prayed together, Mary, her husband Joseph, and the young Jesus.

And even though Mary would have turned even her work into a prayer, still she knew the importance of a spirit of solitude when praying to our Heavenly Father, for one needs to have these solitary moments in order to be replenished. So Mary from the beginning would have needed to spend time alone with God, as did Jesus during his Ministry, perhaps he learned this at his Mothers knee.

This would also have shown a great example to all those who followed Jesus, for the prayer life of Jesus and Mary went beyond keeping the Law and instead focused who was at the centre of their lives, which was their Father in Heaven. So, through the example of them both many would have seen that neither Jesus nor Mary allowed themselves to be enchained by the Law, but neither did they break it. Instead they fulfilled it by making God the centre of their lives and existence.

So even thought this most Holy of families always observed the Law, they were not enslaved by it but instead fostered relationship over and above rituals, for even though the rituals of their Faith had its place it was not a substitute for a relationship with God. They understood that God does not seek outside observances, but instead He sought to be the centre of their lives, and indeed He was. For Mary understood perfectly that God does not need rituals to be enforced, but He calls all into relationship with Him, and through Jesus we see the face of God.

Jesus through observing Mary and Joseph would have also understood that God is to be at the centre of one's life, hence His need from the beginning to be alone with His Father in Heaven. Even unto staying in the Temple where his wisdom amazed and astonished all who listened to him, from one so young.

So through Jesus public Ministry the Apostles and all of those who followed Jesus would have observed the centrality of both Jesus and Mary's prayer life, and a growing understanding would have illuminated their minds as to the importance of combining prayer into all their activities.

This would have been a revolutionary concept to the Apostles and Jesus friends, who though they observed the Law, had little concept of a relationship with their Father in Heaven. Some may have even felt excluded from God's Presence because of the confinements of these Law's, which instead of freeing their spirits, instead burdened it with rituals and rites over relationship!

I am sure Mary shared many of her experiences with these friends of her beloved son, and also through her example, many also would have wondered at the level and depth of her prayer life and her love for God.

This would have led to these very same friends of Jesus to also long to have what Mary had in abundance, a deep and prayerful love for the Father. And through the examples of both Jesus and Mary these Apostles and followers would also foster their prayer life in a longing to be close to their Father in Heaven.

And though Mary nourished her prayer life, even if at times she did not always understand the Will of God, yet she was obedient to Him. For Mary understood that one must always trust in God, in the midst of life and also in the midst of confusion, for Mary also pondered the words spoken by Simeon,"and a sword shall pierce your own soul too."

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Jesus and Mary Their Journey

The beginning of Jesus Ministry did not mean that Mary's involvement lessened nor that she was cast aside, for Mary too was to play an integral part in her Son's Ministry.

It would have been Mary that provided a listening heart to his many friends and followers, as she welcomed them into her home and traveled with them as Jesus preached, taught, and healed the wounded and sick.

I am sure that Mary would have provided a keen insight into their home life to the Apostles, and shared her family joys and sorrows with them. But Mary also was a woman of quiet contemplation and of few words, so she would have listened to these friends of Jesus and provided comfort in their times of confusion and bewilderment.

Wherever they journeyed Mary and the women disciples would have provided care and comfort for not only Jesus but his friends and followers. This meant cooking traditional meals such as bread, the vegetables that were in season, fish, served with olives and goats cheese and meals such as Labaneh and other dishes, spiced with the herbs of the area.

Mary would have also provided a good example for the women followers of Jesus and they would have helped Mary in keeping what ever home they stayed in clean and tidy. They also would have helped Mary in the cooking; one can imagine the men gathered around Jesus listening to him as he spoke to them of the Kingdom of God, whilst Mary and the other women prepared the meals. But what Mary would have shown these women disciples of Jesus, is that though one may be busy at their tasks, still one listens to the voice of God, in a spirit of humble obedience, even in the midst of preparing and cleaning.

So though Mary occupied herself with the daily ritual of cooking, cleaning, knitting and darning the clothes of her Son and his friends, with the help of the other women, she would have incorporated prayer into every activity. This would have been a wonderful example for the other women to follow and is central to the Mission of Jesus, that women were not second class citizens but were an essential part to his Ministry!

But there also would have been occasions of humour and fun amidst the seriousness, and Mary would have shared stories of the infant Jesus and her beloved but deceased husband Joseph, as they conversed together in a spirit of fellowship.

And through the love that Jesus had for his mother, it would have also allowed the other Apostles to see the value which Jesus placed on the importance of women in his Ministry and for women in general.

One only has to look at the woman caught in the act of adultery, when the men were ready to stone her, it was Jesus who whilst writing in the sand asked the question of the mob, "if any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her". For Jesus did not break the Law of Moses but fulfilled it by recognising the inequality and injustice which would have been perpetrated against the woman in question! But neither did Jesus condone the womans act and told her to "go now and leave your life of sin".

So throughout Jesus Ministry, Mary too had her role, which was to provide an example of Holy obedience with true meekness of heart and soul, and to ennoble the role of women in the life of Jesus, and in what was to come.