EPISODE 1 – THE MOTHERHOOD OF MARY

By Brother Patrick

According the Catechism of the Catholic Church, grace is understood as “God’s favor”, the countless blessings that God lavishes upon all of creation. “Grace is the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons [and daughters], and partakers of the divine nature and eternal life. Grace is a participation in the life of God, which is poured unearned into human beings, whom it heals of sin and sanctifies (CCC 1996-1997).” Grace is God’s friendship, God’s goodwill, God’s kindness, God’s forgiveness, and God’s abiding compassion for all people.

Grace is God’s free gift of love, mercy, support, encouragement, and reconciliation. Grace speaks from the heart of those who embrace it and have faith in it. It lives at the core of our being. It lives in our hearts. It speaks from the hearts of those who believe. In this way, grace finds its life and its voice in our thoughts, words, and actions.

In the Gospel of Luke, an angel is sent by God to visit a young woman named Mary. The angel greets Mary with these words: “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you (Luke 1:28)!” The angel then says: “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:30-31).” Inspired by this and other gospel passages, a most powerful prayer is born:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

How does Mary respond to being told by an angel that she is literally filled with God’s grace? Mary responds by embracing it with her whole heart. She says: “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word (Luke 1:38).” With these words, Mary becomes a mother. She embraces a mother’s heart. She embraces her vocation as a mother. She embraces her vocation as the Mother of God.

After the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph raise their son. Jesus becomes a smart, faithful, and prayerful boy. He sings the psalms and studies the scriptures. He learns a trade. He learns to work hard. And years later, just moments before Jesus dies, as Mary and John weep at the foot of the cross, Jesus calls Mary to new kind of motherhood. Jesus says to Mary: “Here is your son (John 19:26).” Jesus then says to John: “Here is your mother (John 19:27).” With these words, Mary becomes a mother again. In her heart, already filled with grace, Mary embraces her vocation as Mother of the Church. Mary embraces her vocation as Mother of All Peoples.

Mary is our mother: yours and mine. She is mother to every person who walks this earth. Pope Francis says: “Mary is a mother, and a mother worries above all about the health of her children. She knows how to care for us with a great and tender love. Our Lady guards our health. But what does this mean? It means that Mary helps us to grow. She helps us to face life. She helps to set us free.”

From her mother’s heart, Mary helps us to grow in faith, hope, and charity. She helps us to grow in love for God, for Jesus, for creation, and for each other. From her mother’s heart, May helps us to face life by confronting its ups and downs with faith, hope, love, humility, courage, and compassion. From her mother’s heart, Mary helps us to be free from the shadows of darkness and division. She helps us to be free in order to choose Christ above all else.

Saint Francis of Assisi has a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. Francis sees a clear connection between the Birth of the Christ Child, the Passion of the Poor Christ, the Motherhood of Mary, and all of us. In the Letter to All the Faithful, Francis writes: “We are all mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ when we lovingly carry him in our hearts and in our bodies, and with a pure and sincere conscience, we give birth to him through the working of grace in us which should shine forth as an example to others.”

Saint Francis sees and we should see that our devotion to Mary is not only about prayer, even though prayer is fundamentally important. Francis sees and we should see that our devotion to Mary is also about following her good and holy example. Our devotion to Mary is about following she who is the first and perfect disciple. Our devotion to Mary is about living through the love of her mother’s heart.

Pope Francis calls us to a spiritual exercise. He says: “Let us close our eyes and think of Mary. She is no fool. She knows what her heart feels. She knows what love is and she answers: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let is be done to me according to your word. In this moment of silence, Jesus says to each of [us]: ‘Do you feel this way? Do you want what Mary wants?’ Think of Mary and answer: ‘I want to serve the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.’ Mary finds the courage to say ‘yes.’ She finds the strength to give life to God’s dream. This is what we are called to do now. Do we want to make God’s dream take on flesh with our hands, with our feet, with our gaze, and with our heart? Do we want the Father’s love to open new horizons for us, and bring people along paths never imagined or hoped for, never dreamed of or expected, making our hearts rejoice, making our hearts sing and dance (2019)?”

Mary as Mother is filled with God’s grace. Mary as Mother is the first and perfect disciple. With a mother’s heart, Mary loves and nurtures Jesus. With a mother’s heart, Mary loves and nurtures the Church. With a mother’s heart, Mary loves and nurtures all of us. Mary as mother points to the manger. Mary as mother points to the cross. Whatever the question, whatever the challenge, Mary as mother leads the way. Mary as mother leads us to Jesus.

With this in mind, how do we answer the Holy Father’s questions? What do we want? What do we want for our lives? Do we want what Mary wants? Do we want what Jesus wants? In our hearts, at the core of our being, are we willing to mourn and weep with the Lord? Are we willing to sing and dance with the Lord? In our hearts, at the core of our being, are we willing to serve the Lord? In our hearts, at the core of our being, are we willing to live the Gospel? Are we willing to share God’s love and mercy? Are we willing to love God and love our neighbors? Are we willing to be instruments of God’s peace in our world? Are we willing to build up the Church?

Pope Francis offers an answer to these challenging questions. The pope says: “Hand in hand with the Blessed Mother, and under her watchful gaze, may we come to sing with joy about the mercies of the Lord and cry out: ‘My soul clings to you, Lord! The mercy you have shown to your saints and to all of your faithful people, you have also shown to me. Out of the pride of my heart, I went astray, following my own ambitions and interests, without gaining any crown of glory! My only hope of glory, Lord, is this: that Mary, our Mother, will take me in her arms, shelter me beneath her mantle, and set me close to her heart (2017).”

May the Holy Father’s hope and desire become our own. May we, too, be taken up into the arms of the Blessed Mother. May we be sheltered beneath her mantle. May we be brought close to her heart. May our lives be touched by Mary. May our lives be touched by her mother’s heart. Always and forever. Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us!

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Brother Patrick Garvey is co-founder and spiritual director of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Souther Maine, Saint John Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is a writer, retreat leader, spiritual director, and university lecturer. He also serves as an Associate Minister in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts. On October 3, 2023, the Feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Patrick was consecrated as a diocesan hermit by Bishop Mark O’Connell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston. For more information about the Assisi Project and our ministries with adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.

THE MOTHER’S HEART SERIES

• Episode 1: The Motherhood of Mary
• Episode 2: Our Lady of Lourdes – Coming Soon!

Art Credit: Our Lady of Good Voyage by Wayne Smith

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Please support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or mail a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved. May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!

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