Mary is our Mother and model for faith

The name Mary has played a central role in my life. My mother and one of my grandmothers share the name Mary. With her husband, Joseph, and 12 children, that same grandmother would sign their annual Christmas card, “Mary, Joseph, and the 12 apostles!”
 
I graduated from Ave Maria University, and the importance of the name Mary continues to resonate throughout my life. That name, the name of the Mother of God, should always remind us that Mary is our Mother. May is an ideal time to reflect on the reality and nature of her motherhood.
 
May has long been associated with Mary. Greek and Roman cultures celebrated throughout May the “goddesses connected to fertility and springtime.” In the early Church there is evidence of a Marian feast in May, and later a 30-day Marian devotion developed that eventually would coincide with May. Today the month culminates with the Feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, celebrated on May 31.
 
In his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater, Pope St. John Paul II provides a key insight into the motherhood of Mary:
 
Another essential element of Mary’s maternal task is found in her words to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you.” The Mother of Christ presents herself as the spokeswoman of her Son’s will, pointing out those things which must be done so that the salvific power of the Messiah may be manifested. At Cana, thanks to the intercession of Mary and the obedience of the servants, Jesus begins “His hour.” At Cana Mary appears as believing in Jesus. Her faith evokes His first “sign” and helps to kindle the faith of the disciples.

The two earthly Marys in my life tried to emulate Mary’s devotion to Christ, giving selflessly of themselves for their children and grandchildren. They prayed for understanding and strength, pondered in their hearts the mysteries of matrimony and motherhood, and watched their families carry their crosses.
 
Just as Mary speaks sparingly in the New Testament, the Marys in my family did not say much to communicate their love and devotion to God and family. They were constant sources of love and strength for their children through triumphs and tragedies. Neither the joyful entrance into Jerusalem nor the staggering walk to Calvary swayed their allegiances. That gratuitous love is modeled by the Mother of God.
 
In 1997, John Paul II explained: “[W]ith the actions of any mother, from the most ordinary to the most demanding, Mary freely co-operated in the work of humanity’s salvation in profound and constant harmony with her divine Son.” It is Mary’s cooperation and harmony with Jesus that we should strive to imitate every day. She shows us how to love our children, parents, friends, and neighbors.
 
This month, let us focus on Mary’s love for her Son, Jesus, God’s love for us all, our own mother’s love, and the love we ought to show them. “To Jesus, through Mary,” the saying goes. Three Marys in my life have proved this saying to be true.