Mary My Mother

I knew a woman who got pregnant.  The "Father" refused to marry her.  She had a son...his son.  He married another and left his Catholic Faith.  He became "born again".  He was baptized again.  He pounded on his bible and on his family.  He said Catholics aren't Christian.  They worship idols.  He attacked and attacked.  He became obsessed to the point that his religion was based on hatred.  Hatred that he could NOT convince even the weakest Catholic to switch sides.  He sinned.  Some of the biggest sins.  He had no where to turn.  He had all the sacraments of the Holy Catholic Church.  He could walk into a confessional at any time.  But pride, ego, ego, pride, stop him.   The worst part of this prideful story is the undermining of the mother of his son.  She brought him up Catholic.

This story is probably a very common story.  It interests me because when we are at a crossroads, what do we do?  We sometimes think we will take the easier road.  Funny, it ends up being the harder road.  I often pray.  I am Catholic.  I have a great devotion to Jesus of Mercy.  I also have a great love for the Blessed Mother.  Throughout Jesus life he was kind and loving to his Mother.  The very first miracle was turning water to wine, at her request.  Yet "born again Christians" have placed her somewhere way way outside of Jesus.  As if she was just another gal that had a baby.  To wrap your mind around who she was you need to read,

Luke 1:26-38  The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.37 For nothing is impossible with God."
38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Mary is the Mother!  She was CHOSEN.  She was to raise Jesus and she was to watch him be crucified, die and rise again.  The anguish that she endured.  God sent Gabriel!  "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.  Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." Why does anyone minimize this?  Not once does it say to worship her.  Yet time and again I hear how we worship Mary.  "Well, you have a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus,".  Yes and I have pictures of my Dad and Mom too.  Do I worship those pictures?  No.  It reminds me of the love I have for them.  Mary's job was to lead us to her son.  She did this.

At this time in Lent it is time to reflect on the all of Jesus.  "Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.  You can never love her more than Jesus did." ~ Saint Maximilian Kolbe