Mary is universal. As we visit any faith community in the world we can find different faces of Mary. Our lady has been a mother to all, in Mexico, Ireland, Korea, Bolivia, Uganda, Russia, Philippines, the United States and etc. I wonder how Mary is so appealing that every culture has its own Mary in the names of the sorrowful mother, the star of the sea, the queen of heaven, the mother of mercy, Theotokos and the mother of God.
First of all, Mary is mother. The poem “Mother” shows well what mother means to us.
Blessed are the mothers of the earth / Blessed are the mothers of the earth /
for they have combined the practical and / the spiritual into one workable way of human life.
They have darned little stockings … mended little dresses / washed little faces,
and have pointed little eyes to the stars / and little souls to eternal things.
Secondly, Mary is the model of discipleship. Her life was not guaranteed by the fact that she gave birth to the Son of God. Rather, she had to endure so many sufferings including watching her beloved Son crucified on the cross. Without faith, it wouldn’t be possible for the simple woman to accept all agony. Above all she practiced her faith as a disciple of Jesus Christ, so she was with the apostles when the Holy Spirit came upon them. Mary was the first disciple from her conception of Jesus. She kept all the things happened around Jesus, reflecting on them in her heart. So Mary’s life is touching us because her unfailing hope, faith and love in the midst of struggling and suffering. Probably that is why the song “Let it be” is inspiring many hearts that yearn for the living Word of God, contemplating and realizing everything will be fine in God. We all would like to say, “Let it be done according to your will, O Lord.”
This is the message of the mother to her sons and daughters.
“Let it be. You are always precious in God’s love for you. Let it be. You won’t be lost in the Son of God who gives all blessing you need. Let it be. You will find the peace that only God can give. Let it be as I did for you.” This is the message from Mom in heaven. Amen.