True Wisdom from Mother Mary
“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51
Christians around the world speak the name of Jesus’ mother each time they confess the creeds of the Church. Though Scripture certainly has more references to Mary than to Joseph, we still have a limited knowledge of this most famous mother. However, God always provides us with what we need from His Word. This woman is a model of faith for all Christians, but also for the vocation of mother. In Mary, we see a woman of faith who trusts the Word of God and praises the Lord for His remembrance of her. From the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel of the coming Messiah to her Visitation of her cousin Elizabeth, we see a pious mother who holds God’s Word sacred and responds to His promises with praise and thanks.
Mary also dutifully carries out her calling as mother faithfully from Jesus’ birth as she wraps the child in cloths and places Him in the manger all the way to His death as she watches from the foot of His cross. Jesus was submissive to His parents, but they were also responsible for His welfare as they brought Him up and He grew “in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
Perhaps the clearest witness of Mary’s faith is her treasuring the words spoken about and by Jesus, His life and deeds. Years after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, St. Luke sets out to write an orderly account of the life and ministry of Jesus. The traditional understanding of the detailed account of the birth of Jesus, recorded so many years later, is that Mary was the source of that eyewitness account. She was one who carried in her heart all that Christ had done for all the world, but also for her.
Motherhood today may not be as maligned as fatherhood, however, there is still confusion of what it means to be a faithful mother. More than taking children to the myriad of activities in which they are involved, mothers are called to show their children what it means to treasure Christ and His Word. Mothers have different gifts, but the same responsibility of being God’s instrument of care for the children that He has entrusted to their care, physical and spiritual. Mothers do more than just feed their children. They also ensure that they are spiritually fed as the feast upon Christ and His Word. Even though, on the church’s calendar, we have moved away from Bethlehem and the stories about the child Jesus, we still can reflect and learn from a pious mother what it means to treasure Christ in our hearts as we hear and meditate on His Word.
Prayer – Almighty God, our heavenly Father, You provide and care for children through the service of mothers. May all of those to whom You have given this responsibility show forth in their lives the faith and trust of ones who treasure Christ and honor Him in the hearts as Lord that those entrusted to their care may lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Fraternally in Christ,
President Lee Hagan
