I want to talk to you about the mother of Jesus, my spiritual mother, and my great friend… Mary.
I have in my possession a copy of The National Geographic magazine. On its cover is a picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Also on the cover is a short descriptive phrase: “The Most Powerful Woman in the World.” I concur! Yet, she has no power of her own.
Who is her power source?
The Holy Trinity… God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. She is not a goddess; she is not Supergirl; she is not an angel; she is fully human.
God the Father chose her, this Mary, from among all women to be born to be the mother of His Son, Jesus. Read the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2 — the Annunciation scene. It’s my favorite on Mary.
Here we see Mary, a 13-year-old girl of legal age to be married — and she was engaged to a young man named Joseph. My guess is that he was about 16. But before they lived together, Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit to be the mother of God’s Son, Jesus. Why? Because of the two natures of Jesus. So, the Holy Spirit had to intervene in the whole process.
On the cross, Mary’s son, 33 years old, gifted to us his mother to be our spiritual mother. She continues His public ministry throughout the world.
In the National Geographic magazine, it cites all the locations where our mother Mary has appeared. We call them apparitions. It is at these places that we see her power — the power of God and of His Son, shining through her as a reflection of their love and power. Remember how the archangel Gabriel greeted her? “Hail, full of grace.” In the apparitions, we see Mary’s humanity and femininity.
I also have a copy of another magazine, Life magazine. On the cover is another picture of Mary. This picture is of a painting by Guido Reni that hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The name of the painting is Annunciation. It depicts the archangel Gabriel appearing to Mary as she kneels in prayer.
My suggestion: Be open to our mother, Mary. If The National Geographic magazine can call her the most powerful woman in the world, I certainly think we can take that, along with our sacred scripture, as truth.
