|
(The
conclusion of Pope Benedict’s Encyclical Spe Salvi)
Mary, Star of Hope
For over
a thousand years, the Church has greeted Mary, the
Mother of God, as “Star of the Sea.” Human life is a
journey, yes, but toward what destination? How do we
find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of
history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we
watch for the stars that indicate the route.
The true
stars of our life are the people who have lived good
lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ
is the True Light, the Sun that has risen above all the
shadows of history. But to reach Him, we also need
lights close by—people who shine with His light to guide
us along our way.
Who more
than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her “yes”
she opened the door of our world to God Himself, she
became the living Ark of the Covenant, in whom God took
flesh, became one of us and pitched His tent among us.
So we cry to her: Holy Mary, you belonged to the humble
and great souls of Israel who, like Simeon, were
“looking for the consolation of Israel,” and hoping,
like Anna, “for the redemption of
Jerusalem.”
Your life was thoroughly imbued with the sacred
scriptures of Israel which spoke of hope, of the promise
made to Abraham and his descendants. We can appreciate
the holy fear that overcame you when the angel of the
Lord appeared to you and told you that you would give
birth to the One. The One awaited by the world. Through
you, through your “yes,” the hope of the ages became
reality, entering this world and its history. You bowed
low before the greatness of this task and gave your
consent: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it
be to me according to your word.” When you hastened with
holy joy across the mountains of Judea to see your
cousin Elizabeth, you became the image of the Church to
come, which carries the hope of the world in her womb
across the mountains of history. But alongside the joy
which, with your Magnificat, you proclaimed in word and
song for all the centuries to hear, you also knew the
dark sayings of the prophets about the suffering of the
servant of God in this world. Shining over his birth in
the stable at Bethlehem, there were angels in splendor
who brought the good news to the shepherds, but, at the
same time, the lowliness of God in this world was all
too palpable. The old man Simeon spoke to you of the
sword which would pierce your soul, of the sign of
contradiction that your Son would be in this world.
Then, when Jesus began His public ministry, you had to
step aside, so that a new family could grow, the family
which it was His mission to establish and which would be
made up of those who heard his word and kept it.
Notwithstanding the great joy that marked the beginning
of Jesus’ ministry, in the synagogue of Nazareth you
must have experienced the “sign of contradiction.” You
saw the growing power of hostility and rejection which
built up around Jesus until the hour of the Cross, when
you had to look upon the Savior of the world, the Heir
of David, the Son of God dying like a failure, exposed
to mockery, between criminals. Then you received the
word of Jesus: “Woman, behold, your Son!” From the Cross
you received a new mission. From the Cross you became a
mother in a new way: the mother of all those who believe
in your Son Jesus and wish to follow Him. The sword of
sorrow pierced your heart. Did hope die? Did the world
remain definitively without light, and life without
purpose? At that moment, deep down, you probably
listened again to the word spoken by the angel in answer
to your fear at the time of the Annunciation: “Do not be
afraid, Mary!” How many times had the Lord, your Son,
said the same thing to his disciples: Do not be afraid!
In your heart, you heard this word again during the
night of
Golgotha. Before the hour of His betrayal He had said to His
disciples: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world,” “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid” (Jn
14:27).
“Do not be afraid, Mary!” In that hour at
Nazareth, the angel had also said to you: “Of His kingdom there will
be no end” (Luke
1:33). Could it have ended before it began? No, at the foot of
the Cross, on the strength of Jesus’ own word, you
became the mother of believers. In this faith, which
even in the darkness of Holy Saturday bore the certitude
of hope, you made your way toward Easter morning. The
joy of the Resurrection touched your heart and united
you in a new way to the disciples, destined to become
the family of Jesus through faith. In this way you were
in the midst of the community of believers, who, in the
days following the Ascension, prayed with one voice for
the gift of the Holy Spirit and then received that gift
on the day of Pentecost. The “Kingdom” of Jesus was not
as might have been imagined. It began in that hour, and
of this “Kingdom” there will be no end. Thus you remain
in the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the
Mother of hope.
Holy
Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to
hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom!
Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!
Pope
Benedict XVI
Encyclical letter Spe Salvi of the supreme Pontiff
Benedict XVI to the bishops, priests and deacons, men
and women religious and all the lay faithful on
Christian Hope
You can
ask BusinessMirror for back issues if you want to
complete your collection on Spe Salvi.
For comments/feedback: e-mail: caritas_manila@yahoo.com;
for donations to Caritas Manila: 563-9311; and for
inquiries: 563-9308 and 563-9298; Fax: 563-9306. |
