Mary, the woman who called Jesus "my Son"
Today I am pleased to begin the first General Audience of the year 2000,
just a few days after the inauguration of the Great Jubilee, by offering
all those present my most cordial wishes for the Jubilee Year: may it
really be a "solid time" of grace, reconciliation and interior renewal.
Over the past year, the last dedicated to the immediate preparation for
the Jubilee, we reflected together in greater depth on the mystery of
the Father. Today, by way of conclusion of that cycle of reflections and
as a special introduction to the Catechesis of the Holy Year, we will
take time to lovingly ponder the person of Mary.
In her, the "beloved daughter of the Father" (Lumen Gentium, 53), the
divine plan of love for humanity was manifested. Given her destiny to
become the mother of his Son, the Father chose her from among all
creatures and raised her to the highest dignity and mission in the
service of his people.
This plan of the Father began to manifest itself in the "Proto-Gospel"
when, following the fall of Adam and Eve, God announced that he would
put enmity between the serpent and the woman: it would be the woman's
son who would crush the serpent's head (Cf. Gen 3,15).
The promise begins to be fulfilled at the Annunciation, when Mary is
given the proposal to become the Mother of the Savior.
2. "Rejoice, full of grace" (Lk 1,28). The first word the Father speaks
to Mary through his angel is a formula of greeting that can be
understood as an invitation to joy, an invitation re-echoing that
directed to the entire people of Israel by the prophet Zachariah:
"Greatly exult daughter of Sion! Behold, your King is coming to you"
(Zach. 9,9; Cf. also Sof 3, 14-18). With this first word addressed to
Mary, the Father reveals his intention to communicate real and lasting
joy to humanity. The very joy of the Father, which consists in having
the Son near him, is offered to all, but first of all it is entrusted to
Mary so that from her it will be shed on the human community.
3. The invitation to joy is linked by Mary to the special gift she
received from the Father: "kecharitomene." Not without reason, the Greek
expression is often translated as "full of grace": it is, indeed, an
abundance that reaches the highest degree. We should note that the
expression sounds as though it is Mary's own name, the "name" given to
her by the Father from the beginning of her existence. Up to the
conception, in fact, her soul was filled with all blessings, enabling
her to follow a road of eminent sanctity throughout her earthly
existence. In Mary's face we perceive the reflection of the mysterious
face of the Father. The infinite tenderness of God, who is Love, is
revealed in the maternal features of Jesus' Mother.
4. When speaking of Jesus, Mary is the only mother who can say "my son,"
as the Father says it: "You are my Son" (Mk 1,11). For his part, Jesus
calls the Father "Abba," "Daddy" (Cf. Mk 14,36), while he calls Mary
"mommy," placing all his filial affection in this name.
After he leaves his mother in Nazareth, during his public life when he
meets her he calls her "woman," to emphasize that henceforth he takes
orders only from the Father, but also to declare that she is not simply
a biological mother, but, rather, has a mission to fulfill as "Daughter
of Sion" and mother of the people of the New Covenant. As such, Mary
always remains oriented to full adherence to the will of the Father.
This was not the case with all of Jesus' family. The fourth Gospel
reveals that his relatives "did not believe in him" (Jn 7,5) and Mark
mentions that "they went out to seize him; for they said, 'He is beside
himself.' " (Mk 3,21). One can be sure that Mary's interior dispositions
were completely different. This is confirmed in Luke's Gospel, in which
Mary presents herself as the humble "handmaid of the Lord" (Lk 1,38). In
this light we read the response given by Jesus when "he was told: 'Your
mother and your brethren are standing outside, desiring to see you.' (Lk
8,20; Cf. Mt 12,46-47; Mk 3, 32); Jesus replied: "My mother and my
brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Lk 8,21).
Indeed, Mary is a model of hearing the Word of God (Cf. Lk 2, 19.51) and
of docility to it.
5. The Virgin preserved and renewed with perseverance her total
disposition expressed at the Annunciation. The immense privilege and
lofty mission of being Mother of the Son of God did not change her
humble behavior, submissive to the Father's plan. Among the other
aspects of this divine plan, she assumed the educational endeavor
implied in her maternity. The mother is not simply the one who gives
birth but also the one who actively undertakes the formation and
development of the son's personality. Mary's behavior undoubtedly had an
influence on Jesus' conduct. One can assume, for example, that the act
of the washing the feet (Cf. Jn 13, 4-5), which was left to the
disciples as a model to imitate (Cf. Jn 13, 14-15), reflects that which
Jesus himself had observed in Mary's behavior during his childhood,
when, in a spirit of humble service, she washed her guests' feet.
According to Gospel testimony, during the period Jesus spent in Nazareth
he was "subject" to Mary and Joseph (Cf. Lk 2,51). He thus received from
Mary a real education that marked his humanity. On the other hand, Mary
let herself be influenced and formed by her son. In the progressive
manifestation of Jesus, she discovered the Father more profoundly and
gave him the homage of all the love of her daughterly heart. Now her
task is to help the Church to walk as she did in Christ's footsteps.
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