Jesus, the Truth, the Life and the Way is Mary’s Son. She willed to be the Mother of the Redeemer, knew what it meant from the beginning and kept it all in her heart.
She is Theotokos—the Greek word for “God-bearer”—Theos, meaning God, and tokos, meaning bearer, a title ascribed to Mary in the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD.
There are four great dogmas of faith about the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are her Immaculate Conception, her Perpetual Virginity, her Divine Maternity and her Assumption into Heaven.
The titles given her reflect her holiness, virtues and how she is loved. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary ascribes her 50 titles, equivalent to the Hail Marys in the five decades of the rosary.
Through the centuries, Christians have called Mary titles of virtues, holiness and devotion. Anthony F. Chiffolo published her titles in 100 Names of Mary: Stories and Prayers. Other Mariologists opined that if advocations, feasts and shrines in the world named after her are included, the list would never end.
Below are some reflections from some members of the Secular Institute of the Two Hearts (SITH).
First Tabernacle
In every church a prominent place most sacred to every Christian heart is found. If not in the middle of the main altar, it is in a place truly set apart solely for it, the tabernacle—where the Eucharist is retained.
In the Old Testament, this tabernacle referred to the portable sanctuary the Israelites carried while they wandered in the wilderness after their exile from Egypt. They placed there the things they considered sacred. After reaching Jerusalem, they placed it in the temple, which King Solomon built (Exodus 25:27). And they continued to hope for the coming of the One who will save them, a mighty warrior with great power.
Yet, God works in mysterious ways, too, far different from man’s own expectations. In fulfillment to what He had promised the Israelites, He had chosen the womb of the most blessed among all women to be the first to contain the Uncontainable.
Such is a noble task carried out by Angel Gabriel to announce to the one whom God has found favor with—the Blessed Mother. It only took her one selfless “Yes” to be the first Tabernacle ever to contain the Holy of holies, the Bread of Life, our Lord Jesus Christ through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. God has created the best tabernacle to be the dwelling place of His Son.
From being immaculately conceived, our Lady was filled with the fullness of grace. These graces have adorned her soul beautifully, making her also the Mother not only of the Savior but of all mankind. The Blessed Mother will always be our model in persevering in our obedience to the Most Holy Will of God. This is our assurance that the more we become close to her the more we experience God’s presence in our lives.
We, too, are called to surrender our unselfish “yes” to the Lord each day. It is a calling to also be God’s tabernacle where He can dwell and be incarnated in our actions. We are with her as often as we come before every tabernacle of a Church and be close to God.—Sr. Mary Grace Bautista, SITH, Mother of the Church
The most dramatic Gospel scene that shows the concern of Mary’s motherly heart is the wedding feast at Cana. “They have no more wine,” were words not only requesting for a miracle, but an ushering of Mary’s role to be the mother of all humanity.
Jesus’ seemingly reluctant response implied if Mary was wiling to be transformed from being His Mother and be the mother of all He redeems too. For if He would go to make His first recorded miracle there, He would be proclaiming His Divinity—His being the new Adam—and inevitably it would also highlight her Mother’s role as the new Eve. Thus, it was not anymore a mother-son relationship, but also mother-humanity relationship.
“Do whatever He tells you,” was Mary’s expression of faith. Jesus’ transformation of water into wine became his first recorded miracle. It was the beginning of Christ’s ministry, which reached its fullness on the cross. It was the beginning of Mary’s Motherhood for the whole Church, which was firmly established at the foot of the cross.
As Christ utters His fifth word on the cross, “Behold your Mother,” Saint John Paul II interpreted it as a “special entrusting of humanity to the Mother of Christ.” Hence, he considers Mary’s motherhood as “man’s inheritance—a gift which Christ Himself bestowed to every individual.”
Although, the title of Mary, Mother of the Church, was first used by Saint Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century, the title was the Blessed Mother by Pope Paul VI during the Second Vatican II in 1962 to 1965.—Mary Grace Bautista, SITH
First Disciple
Being a disciple means having the conviction to follow a shepherd, like the frail sheep entrusting themselves to the One who reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd.
Imagine a flock of sheep following its shepherd. Among them, somewhere in the end, is one limping and dragging its feet slowly with much difficulty. The rest are running behind the shepherd, but this one, though obedient, always, is the last in the herd.
The shepherd calls them, and the rest run faithfully to him but the last sheep arrived much later than the others. Jesus knows the desires and frailties of each sheep—each of them. He knows the uniqueness of each of His sheep.
Saint Therese said that if you want to walk in the path of the helpless sheep, you do not have to force yourself to be like an eagle. By imitating the attitude of the helpless sheep, you can be the highest model of sanctity—the one whose only desire is to be a servant-slave of the Lord.
The Blessed Virgin Mary lived perfectly the likeness of the helpless sheep. She believes that with God, everything is possible. Her divine “yes” is like an “abyss of helplessness but also an abyss of trust in God.”
When one begins to imitate Mary, realizing her limitations and weaknesses but trustfully yearn to be the Good Shepherd, one will be able to follow God with much perseverance. He shepherds each one, even the lost and the least. For every person is unique. And God loves everyone.—Sr. Fatima Zarsuel, SITH, Mother of Perpetual Help
“Fiat,” the beginning of all graces poured on mankind. “Behold, I am the Handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word.”
Mary becomes the mother of Jesus. She gave herself entirely to God and to the work of her Son. This world, a place of self-gratification, is rightly called a valley of tears.
But, we can turn to Mary who is a mother to every soul in need of enlightenment. “The angel revealed to Saint Bridget: “As a rose grows among thorns, so did the Blessed Virgin grows among tribulations.”
In the heart of Mary, echoes all that Jesus suffered in body and soul and her willingness to share in her Son’s redeeming sacrifice.
Indeed, she united her own motherly suffering to His priestly sacrifice because Mary’s hope at the foot of the Cross shined forth more radiantly than the darkness that reigns in many hearts.
The hope of the Church and humanity is born in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thus, we became the children of Mary. How then can she leave us on our own to ask God for favors? We can rely on her intercessory prayers.
As a mother, she knows the sufferings of her children. She stretches out her hand to reach out to those who are in great need to help. We must trust in her powerful intercession because her Son Jesus entrusted us to her maternal love that even in the most painful moments in life, we know we have a mother to rely on. Being the mother of Jesus, Mary embraced humanity as her beloved children.
Let us entrust ourselves always to the mother of God. She will never abandon us. She will be with us while we are on our journey to eternity. We have a great hope that she will one day welcome us in paradise.—Sr. Fatima Zarsuel, SITH
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Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.