Mother: Mary (Mariology Book 2)

Introduction

Mother of God falls off our lips like it is second nature to us. We know the words, but do we know the personal meaning it has for each of us. I hope to cover some of the topics in this book which will bring this meaning closer to each of us. Chapter One is a reflection on the Mother of God as she relates to our own spiritual life. Chapter Two is a short reflection on Mary, Mother of the Church, which places us in the Church and our own relation to Mary in the Church. Chapter Three is called Mother of You, since it is You who at the spotlight and we ask the question what it means for each of us to be a subject in relation to Mary as well s what it means to have self-identity that is true to its relation to Mary. Chapter Four is called Mary, a Mother’s Mother. Motherhood and Mary seem to be synonymous and we want to discover why Mary was the perfect Mother and how every Mother can learn from her wisdom and fidelity. Chapter Five is a reflection on Mary, a Son’s Mother, since it is in the perfect relationship that Mary had with Jesus Christ that we uniquely know Mary. We are hopeful that these reflections with bring you, the reader, and hopefully, a lover of Mary, closer to the woman who is known as Mary of Nazareth. She knows you with a Mother’s love and a care that only the Mother of God could give. May these reflections bring you closer to that endearing love we are all destined to have with Jesus Mother, in the Church, in the world, and in our lives.
I’ve chosen Mother to be the title of this book for three reasons. First, I wanted to reflect more deeply on the role of Mary in my own life. I would like to explain what I mean. In fact I was born into a Catholic household, where Mother and Father, Brothers and Sisters were baptized and raised in the Catholic faith. No doubt, as I see it today, was a privileged position in the world, since it is the One Church that Jesus Christ started and is with today. The teachings and dogmas of the Catholic Church were accepted and lived from an early age because this is what we did when growing up and wanting to be obedient. Divine Providence allowed me to be baptized on July 16th, which is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Later, after leaving home for college the Carmelite Nuns became instrumental in deepening my spiritual life thru the teachings of Saints John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux. At the same time I was introduced to the Orthodox Spirituality of Mount Athos and was deeply moved by their devotion to the Mother of God and addressed her constantly as Theotokos (God-Bearer). Also, my exposure to Louis Marie DeMontfort and Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Maximilian Kolbe and the Immaculata, as well as St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has left an indelible mark on my own personal devotion to Mary. As a result of these influences in my life I felt it time to put down in writing why I believe it is a cornerstone of spirituality for any Catholic. In fact, I’ve not encountered or read of any Saint in the Catholic Church who has not had a deep devotion to Mary, Mother of God. This has led me to conclude that, if not thru the teachings of the Church, but also thru my own experience, Mary is, besides the Holy Trinity, the most important person in my life.
Secondly, I believe that by searching for a deeper meaning of Mary as Mother we can find what it means for all Christians who believe in Mary, Mother of God. Why do we reflect upon the life and virtues of Mary in our life? What makes Mary so attractive a person to emulate and imitate along with Jesus Christ?
Thirdly, I wanted to find out and understand more what it means for Mary to be the Mother of God to us. By focusing my attention, as well as devotion, upon these three slightly different considerations I hope to arrive at a fuller and deeper appreciation of Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, Mother of Christians.