"Humble, she
hid the
experience
of the wise;
fragile as a
lily, she
brought with
her the
endurance of
the diamond,
she carried
in her own
virtue the
firm
treasures of
the heart,
but she was
great and
prestigious
before
God". (1)
Thus, she
comes to
this Earth,
Mary or
Miriam, Lady
of Light,
born between
18 and 20 BC
in Jerusalem
or Sepphoris
in Galilee.
During her
childhood
she lived in
Nazareth,
married at
the age of
fourteen to
the
carpenter
Joseph of
the tribe of
David. Mary,
simply
Mary...
Her life
becomes a
symbol of
tenderness
and hope for
the
disinherited
on Earth.
She
experiences
the
wonderful
effort of
being a
mother in
order to
lead men to
the path of
love,
carrying out
their
mission with
magnitude.
Her
humbleness
and
resignation
were special
gifts that
favored her
choice for
the special
task of
reconciling
men. The
example of
having Jesus
in the heart
represented
a strong
sentimental
connection
based on
love marked
in two
opposing
scenes: Mary
full of joy
with the boy
in her arms
in the
stable of
Bethlehem
and at the
foot of the
cross in the
painful
scene of
Calvary.
This food of
spiritual
and maternal
love is what
brings us
the
necessary
forces to
face the
trials and
struggles
that we must
overcome.
That is why
it is
important to
examine the
precious
words of
Mary at Cana
at a wedding
feast, full
of wisdom
and love: "Do
whatever He
tells you"
(John 2: 5).
We are at
the
engagement
feast of the
Gospel with
the Earth.
Although
more than
twenty
centuries
have passed,
the joy is
still the
one of an
engagement,
because,
until now,
we have not
concluded
our perfect
union in
this great
concert of
the renewing
idea. On
many
occasions we
have
finished the
wine of
Hope,
feeling
tired,
disillusioned,
imploring
maternal
tenderness.
At this
time, we
must
understand
the depth
and wisdom
of His words
to begin the
work of
salvation
for each one
of us.
We return to
Mary,
anxious and
tortured,
eyes fixed
on the tree,
reverting to
the past in
bitter
memories.
Her thoughts
wander
through the
sea of
afflicted
questions,
when a
friendly
voice speaks
to the
Spirit about
the
unfathomable
and just
determinations
of God,
which must
be accepted
for the
redemption
of all. In
this way, we
understand
that in the
future the
clarity of
the Kingdom
of God will
reveal the
need to
cease all
selfishness;
and one day
in every
heart there
will be the
most
abundant
quota of
love, not
only for the
family
circle, but
also for all
the needy of
the world.
And in the
temple of
each
dwelling
real
fraternity
will remain
so that the
mutual
assistance
is practiced
on Earth.
Jesus was
her son, but
above all,
He was the
Messenger of
God. It was
then that
Mary
understood
the
perfection,
the mercy,
and the
justice of
the Father’s
mind, and
she knelt at
the feet of
the cross,
looking at
her dead
son, and
repeating
the
unforgettable
words: "Lord,
here is your
servant! Be
it done unto
me according
to Your
word" (Luke
1:38).
A worthy
soul sees
the generous
wine of Cana
transforming
into the
vinegar of
martyrdom.
Time marks a
greater
longing in
the world
and an ever
higher hope
in Heaven.
Time goes
by. Her hut
in Ephesus,
facing the
sea, was
known as the
House of the
Blessed, a
name given
when a leper
after having
his wounds
healed,
kissed her
hands,
murmuring: "Lady,
you are the
mother of
our Master
and our Most
Holy Mother" (2).
Mary always
avoided the
affectionate
tributes of
Jesus'
disciples,
but that
filial
confidence
with which
they asked
for her
presence was
for her soul
a soft and
delicious
treasure in
her heart.
The helpless
arrived
daily,
begging for
spiritual
assistance.
Others came
to hear her
comforting
words; the
sick asked
for her
protection
and the
unfortunate
mothers
asked for
the blessing
of her
affection.
And she,
affectionately,
would say,
"That will
pass too!
Only the
Kingdom of
God is
strong
enough to
never pass
from our
souls, as an
eternal
fulfillment
of heavenly
love”. (2)
Her concepts
softened the
pain of the
most
desperate,
thus
clearing the
dark
thoughts of
the most
oppressed.
When Paul of
Tarsus goes
to Ephesus
and visits
her, he is
impressed by
the
humbleness
of that
simple and
loving
creature,
paying
attention to
her
narratives
about the
Master. He
records her
divine
impressions
in order to
gather the
indispensable
data for the
Gospel he
intends to
write for
the
Christians
of the
future.
Most of the
time, Maria
was alone,
not feeling
alone. The
apostle
John, with
whom she
lived after
the
crucifixion
of Jesus,
was much
sought after
in the
Church of
Ephesus, and
so the days,
the weeks,
the months,
and the
years
passed. Old
age had not
caused her
weariness or
bitterness.
She was sure
of the
divine
protection,
and this
provided her
with
uninterrupted
comfort and
grateful
rest.
Some
Christians
who had been
banished
from Rome
came to
Ephesus with
sad accounts
of painful
persecutions
of all who
were
faithful to
the doctrine
of Jesus.
Thus, Mary
devoted
herself to
prayers
asking God
for all who
were in
anguish for
the sake of
His son.
Alone in her
humble
house, a
strength
enters her
soul, and
so,
enlightened
in her
meditations,
she sees the
approach of
a beggar.
Maternally,
she invites
him in
impressed
with that
voice that
inspires her
deep
sympathy.
The pilgrim
speaks to
her about
Heaven,
comforting
her gently,
commenting
on the
beatitudes
that await
all the
devoted sons
of God,
implying
that he
understood
the tender
longings of
the heart.
What beggar
would be the
one who
soothed the
secret pains
of the soul
with so
sweet balms?
Where had
she heard
that sweet,
tender
voice? It
was when the
anonymous
guest
extended his
generous
hands and
spoke with
deep love: "My
mother, come
to my arms!"
Taken with
great
commotion,
she saw in
his hands
two wounds,
like the
ones His Son
had on the
cross, and
instinctively
looked at
the
pilgrim's
feet and
also saw
ulcers
caused by
the nails of
the torment.
She
understands,
then, the
loving visit
that God
sent her.
Her tender
and eager
hands
embraced
Him, in an
impulse of
love and in
a motion to
kneel.
However, He,
lifting her,
kneels and
kisses her
hands,
saying
tenderly: "Yes,
my mother,
it is me! I
came to
fetch you,
because my
Father wants
you to be in
My Kingdom
the Queen of
Angels!" (2)
Feeling that
she is
leaving this
world, Mary
wants to
revisit
Galilee. She
remembers
the
disciples
persecuted
by the
cruelty of
men and
wishes to
embrace
those who
remained in
the valley
of the
shadows,
waiting for
the
enlightenment
of the
Kingdom of
God. In a
few moments,
she sees a
superb city
where
patrician
litters pass
constantly,
displaying
precious
stones and
animal
skins,
carried by
miserable
slaves. A
few more
moments, and
she sees the
dark prisons
of the
Esquiline,
where
hundreds of
embittered
faces
portray
atrocious
sufferings.
She prays
with fervor
and faith,
approaching
an
imprisoned
young woman
with a
bruised
face, saying
in her ear:
"Sing, my
daughter!
Let us be of
good cheer!
Let us turn
our pains on
Earth into
joys to
Heaven!" (2) The
sad prisoner
through the
bars sings a
tender hymn
of love for
Jesus,
turning all
her
bitterness
into verses
of hope, and
thus her
song is
accompanied
by hundreds
of voices of
those who
wept in
prison.
Let us thus
learn to
recognize in
Mary an
evolved
entity,
which for
more than
two thousand
years has
attained
great
virtues,
performing
on Earth a
great
mission,
receiving as
her Son the
emissary of
God. She is
one of the
purest
Spirits that
have been
given to
mankind to
know by
helping
Jesus in the
building up
of His
Kingdom,
which is
being built
in our
hearts
little by
little.
Let us work
with her in
the task of
love for our
redemption,
work that
can be done
word by
word,
thought by
thought,
emotion by
emotion and
prayer by
prayer. It
is a love
that adds
energy to
affection;
it adds the
discipline
necessary
for the
corrective
education
that is
needed by
those who
are
accustomed
to evil, by
also adding
hope and
certainty of
the final
triumph of
good.
Mary, simply
Mary!
Bibliography:
(1) XAVIER,
C. Francisco
- Religion
of the
Spirits -
dictated by
the Spirit
Emmanuel -22nd edition
-Brasilia /
DF /
Publisher
FEB -2013 -
Item: The
woman before
the Christ.
(2) XAVIER,
C. Francisco
- PEREIRA. A.
Yvonne – Mary
Mother of
Jesus -
1st edition
- Sao Paulo
/ SP /
Publisher
Alianca -
2007 - pages
12,48,54,62,65
e 70.
And more:
XAVIER, C.
Francisco - Good
News-
dictated by
the Spirit
Humberto de
Campos – 36th edition
- Brasilia /
DF / FEB
-2013 -
Chapter 30.
Translation:
Eleni
Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br
