Station IV: Jesus meets His Mother

"... 'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word and put it into practice.'" [Luke 8:21]. That's what Jesus said when someone told Him that His mother and brothers were outside of the house where he was staying one time.

What a fair requirement in order to be considered intimate with Jesus. Some people say this remark is clearly opposed to the Catholics' special treatment of Mary, even believing her to be the Mother of God. But wait, Jesus said, "those who hear the word and put it into practice" and what can we say about Mary? Let us visit Luke 1:38,

"You see before you the Lord's servant. 

Let it happen to me as you have said."

Again, while He was speaking in a crowd, a woman praises the "womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you" to which He replied,

"More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" 

[Luke 11:28] 

This time we go back to Luke 2:19,

As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Now pondering does not only mean passive thinking but more of reflecting, meditating, contemplating. And surely Mary's life was filled with pondering and practicing these things as she understood very well the mission of her son. Perhaps what clearly helps us to understand about her role in the history of salvation can be glanced from John 2: 1-11.

Jesus and His Apostles were invited to a wedding at Cana where His mother was also present. In the middle of the celebration the wine ran out. It would have been a great embarrassment for the groom since the celebration was not yet over. But Mary did something that shows her proper role in the Church, she went to Jesus and told Him of the problem. Jesus remarked that it was not yet His time but still when the servants came to Him after talking to Mary, He performed the first of his miracles or signs as it is called in the John's Gospel. And what were the only words that Mary told the servants then? These are the last words coming from Mary which are recorded in the Bible"

"Do whatever He tells you." [John 2:5]

She did nothing to overshadow her son. She did nothing to take the limelight away from Jesus. She only manifested what every Christian is expected to do: obey the will of God and to give back the credit to the Lord. It was not she who performed the miracle or the sign thought she performed her role of an intercessor or mediator between the servants and Jesus. She did not even take credit for it and nowhere in the Bible do we read about her boasting of her motherhood of Jesus the Lord. In fact in the instances that we mentioned above when Jesus is told of her presence or His mother is praised by someone and Jesus does not acknowledge her directly, there is not record of her being hurt. For a loving mother truly understands a child, especially when that child has a very important mission to fulfill as the angel during the Annunciation has already made it clear to Mary [see Luke 1: ] and as Simeon also mentioned to her during the Presentation [see Luke 2: 34-35].

But even if the Lord did not gave her enough earthly recognition to His mother, He did care for her and knew very well her role in the Church that when He was dying upon the cross, He entrusted her to John, the beloved Apostle - the only one among the Apostles to remain with Him through His sufferings, and in return, entrusting John, representing all His disciples, to His mother [see John 19: 26-27]. 

The last record of Mary's presence in the Bible is during the very important occasion of the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She was there in the middle of the Apostles and the disciples of His son. 

Mary is the mother of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. She deserves all the honor and respect for her unselfish giving of herself to the plan of the Father to save mankind. Even in her various approved and near-approved apparitions all that she ever requests is for us to follow the Lord and to avoid doing sin. Let us make her happy by doing what the Lord tells us: to love one another!

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