May 5, 2016
Traditionally, May is a month in which we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. We should honor Mary as the true disciple that she was and seek to emulate her discipleship in Christ.
Mary was a woman of prayer. Mary was a teenager, probably no more than 14 or 15 years of age, when she received the call of God that changed her life and the changed the course of human history. Remarkable! A young teenager had a sufficiently profound relationship with God that she could hear the call of God to her, wrestle with that call, and respond to that call with a total gift of self. How is our life of prayer? Do we listen to God especially when God asks from us something that is difficult for us to accept? Do we wrestle with what God asks of us? Do we finally give our full assent to what God asks of us knowing, as Mary knew, that God wills only the good for us and God’s people?
Mary was a woman of faithfulness. It could not have been easy to be the mother of Jesus. Mary was a devout Jew whose son was in conflict with the leadership of the Jewish people. Mary was a mother whose son was the object of praise and vilification, acclaim and derision. Mary witnessed the arrest, torture and execution of her son. Through it all, Mary persevered in faithfulness to her son and to her God. When we face difficulties, challenges and struggles, do we pray to Mary to help us persevere in faith as she did? Do we pray to Mary to keep us in faithfulness to the way of her Son?
Mary was a woman of great generosity. We see that generosity in her “Yes” to God, in her faithfulness to her Son and to her God, and in her perseverance in faith. She gave all of herself to God. Do we dare pray to Mary this month for the grace to give of ourselves more and more to God? Do we dare pray to Mary to intercede for us with her Son that he might draw us more deeply into his life by our faithfulness to him and to the way he showed us?
May Mary help us grow in our discipleship in her Son, Jesus Christ!
Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.