January 3, Feast of the Divine Motherhood of Mary
All women are blessed with all their goodness and shortcomings in their own life. Yet, Mary alone is proclaimed as being blessed by the special grace of God. The angel Gabriel, who was appointed to announce the good news, was the first to give such a title to Mary. “You are blessed among women.”
Perhaps because Mary, a woman, was blessed, every woman who is appointed to stand by her side becomes blessed. Every woman must live by receiving a share of Mary’s blessing. Yet, don’t many women forget that they are blessed at some point in their lives? In any case, it is essential that we travel through the paths of Mary’s grace. We can understand from the angel’s description what are the factors that make Mary blessed.
Full of Grace
“Hail, Mary, full of grace” is the angel’s address. It was not a mere superficial address. Because Mary was full of grace; only grace. There is goodness in all human beings. There is no doubt about that. Along with that, we have evil in us. There are also elements of goodness in those whom we accuse of being evil.
There are also elements of evil in those whom we praise as being more full of goodness. Therefore, we cannot calculate anyone as being completely full of goodness or only evil. But Mary was completely full of grace. How can one who is exempted even from original sin be subject to evil? Anyone who lives and behaves with the fear of God and arranges life according to the will of God becomes the owner of a good life. We love, worship, and seek intercession more from Mary because she was crowned with goodness that no other saint had. The saints were human beings. They were born with sin and lived with sinners. Therefore, they had various kinds of sinful tendencies. It was through the constant struggle and survival with it throughout their lifetime that they finally attained the status of saints.
The Blessedness of Mary’s Womb
Sometimes, even those who are considered holy, like St. Francis of Assisi, who is known as the “Second Christ,” are swayed by the desires of the flesh and have to strive to overcome them to attain purity. But such purification was not necessary for Mary. By birth, nature, and action, she was a tabernacle and abode of goodness. There was no other human being like Mary who was specially ordained by God to live without any defilement. Why should we hesitate to venerate such a Mary? Our eyes should be anointed to see the goodness in others. When we look at Mary with anointed eyes, we see her as a rising star shining with the light of goodness.
Fruit of the Womb Blessed
Mary was blessed also because of the fruit of her womb. Mary was graced to carry the Lord in her womb and heart alike. The one chosen by God to be the Mother of the Savior was Mary, who waited to be the handmaid of the one chosen by God to be the Mother of the Savior. To hold God in her hands, to feed God, to have God as a child in her lap – what woman in the world has such a fortune, other than Mary?
Mary’s womb was blessed. It is when one is born from a blessed womb that the fruit of the womb becomes blessed. It should also be understood here that when good children are born, both the mothers and the children born from the wombs of good mothers become a cause for blessing. There is also a reminder here that the preparations for birth should be done with utmost purity.
Joseph, Mary’s Match
Mary’s blessedness should be evaluated in another way as well. The reason for Mary’s blessing is that she got a husband like Joseph. Joseph was a husband who could stand with God and see and understand Mary. Every woman becomes blessed by being associated with the goodness of her husband. Even though Mary went through many hardships, she did not falter because she had a husband who could think and act with God. Some blessings should be counted by being associated with one’s spouse.
Reason for Mediation with Mary
The words of the angel also clearly explain why we seek Mary’s intercession. The Lord is with you, says the angel. God has assured many through His word that He will be with them wherever they go. But Mary’s significance lies in the fact that this divine presence goes one step further.
Here is the English translation of the provided Malayalam text:
“The Power of Mary’s Intercession”
It is an undeniable fact that the Lord is with you. There is no doubt or question about it. Although the Scriptures tell us that God has promised to be with us wherever we go, we also see instances where the divine presence seems to withdraw from certain individuals in specific situations. However, this is never the case with Mary. God was always with her, at all times.
Just as it is beneficial to have someone familiar with a place accompany you on a journey, and comforting to have a courageous person by your side when venturing into the unknown, so too is the assistance of a person who has God’s presence with them.
If our journey is with someone who has God’s presence, our paths will not go astray. We can claim and possess the goodness that is not ours, the goodness that we do not possess, through that person. This is the power of intercession with Mary.
Walk with Mary. That path leads to Christ, for Mary walks to Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. To be with Mary is to be with God. Therefore, invite Mary into all aspects of your life. Prayer to the Mother is prayer to God, for the Mother prays to God. What else can one who has God’s presence pray for?
Vinayak Nirmal
