The strength of Mary Most Holy

Every May there's no way not to talk about mothers. The second Sunday of the month is so well remembered and celebrated! We know that, especially in the commercial sector, it is a much-anticipated date, comparable in terms of turnover only to the month of December. Despite the materialistic side of Mother's Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on the complex role of women who take on the mission of motherhood in this world of banishment.

It reminds us of Mary Most Holy, who received the Master of all, Jesus, in the flesh. Imagine the mission accepted by her, almost a girl, who ascended at the announcement of the Angel Gabriel, who came to tell her that she would be the mother of the greatest of all men! In religious literature, we have the description of the sweetness of her character, the lightness of her sublime Spirit, sent in advance from the sublime spheres, where the enlightened Spirits are located, to welcome the Great Master into her womb.

It can't have been easy for this young woman, who was in the last stages of her pregnancy, not to have found an inn or a place with minimal resting conditions to give birth to the blessed child, after traveling all over the city. Giving free rein to her imagination, the normal stages and pains of childbirth were certainly alleviated, and Mary gave birth to her little boy without luxury or appropriate clothing.

On the other hand, that night, according to Luke and Matthew, angels appeared and the whole field lit up, surprising the shepherds who were around the manger. In addition, the Magi arrived there guided by a shooting star. The angel who appeared before the frightened shepherds explained to them that there was nothing to be afraid of, because that child wrapped in swaddling clothes was the Savior, Christ the Lord. We can't imagine Mary and Joseph's enormous surprise at all the events that marked the birth of Jesus, nor how they felt about the responsibility that lay ahead of them.

In spiritist literature, especially in the book Good News, The book, written by the Spirit Humberto de Campos and psychographed by Chico Xavier, contains some passages about Mary as a Blessed Mother.

In the chapter “Jesus and the Forerunner”, we have a beautiful passage about the concern of two mothers for their chosen children of God. Elizabeth and Mary were cousins, and Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist. The two boys were different children who saw the future of work and sacrifice that lay ahead of them. In this episode, Mary tells her cousin of her concern to ensure a special education for her son, which is why she sought the intercession of Eleazar, an important representative of the temple teachers, so that Jesus could study among them, with the protection of the teachers of the Law.

Mary expresses her concern following the Gospel episode in which Jesus, in the Temple in Jerusalem, at the age of 12, surprises the doctors of the Law with his argument about God and his teachings. She tells her cousin that when Jesus learned of her intention, he rejected the idea and asked his father Joseph to let him work with him in the carpenter's shop.

Here was a mother who was apprehensive about her son's future, trying to preserve him from the persecution he would suffer because of her liberating ideas of love and forgiveness. Mary never left her son's side and paid a heavy price for it. The worst, without a doubt, was witnessing Jesus' martyrdom and death on the infamous tree.

Mary's suffering was poignant, despite the faith she always had. Today we know the magnitude of her Spirit, protector of the suffering, including those who insist on the path of evil.

Motherhood is undoubtedly the greatest grace a human being receives from the merciful Father. However, I don't like to romanticize this condition; women don't become special beings by being mothers. They continue their journey through mistakes and successes. Some can't even remotely appreciate the meaning of motherhood, simply because they aren't prepared, they haven't managed to get rid of their inner ghosts that take them away from their offspring.

Mary Most Holy, our greatest Mother, certainly doesn't condemn mothers who haven't understood their mission; on the contrary, she supports them with a sad and compassionate gaze. So we must try not to criticize mothers who have lost their way, who have failed to appreciate the opportunity to learn to love and live the purest of loves. We should also look with understanding and affection at our mothers, who have often made mistakes, but who have also been right, just like us, evolving and imperfect beings.

The important thing is that our mothers did the best they could. They brought us into this world so that we could have a body through which we can learn and evolve. So, on Mother's Day, let's raise our thoughts to all the mothers on Earth, incarnate and discarnate, praying that Mary's light reaches the heart of each one!

Reference

CAMPOS, Humberto de (Spirit). Good News. Psychographed by Francisco Cândido Xavier. 37. ed. 10. reimp. Brasília, DF: FEB, 2018.