Mary did you know

  The Luke 11:9 series - Mary, did you know? Reflection on a touching Chrismas Carol

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In the most Blessed Virgin Mary, we have a very powerful advocate who is our Mother ready to intercede with her Son on our behalf, if only we deign to pray to her asking for her help. 

Let's take a look at the extraordinary life of Mother Mary through the words of a popular Christmas Carol. These are my reflections on the touching Christmas Carol, Mary Did You Know…, which has become one of my favourites. 

Visit https://youtu.be/C7gi8hb9yBQ to hear a truly poignant cover of The Christmas Carol, Mary Did You Know…, by the Indian band 'Sanam' made in 2014. 

The original carol lyrics were written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and the music by Buddy Greene in 1991. To read the lyrics and history visit https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/mary-did-you-know-/ 

The title, Mary Did You Know…, got me thinking ... could Mother Mary possibly have known?? 

The Catechism tells us that at different stages the most Blessed Virgin Mary got to see, hear and understand the mystery of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, God-made-Man. 

Here are a few key events in Mary’s life that can help explain this … 

i) Mary was full of grace, born Immaculate (Ineffabilis Deus c. 1854, says Mary was born without the stain of Original Sin) and incapable of sin, making her the perfect vessel to bear the Son of God - she is the true Ark of the New Covenant, the Theotokos (Greek term meaning “the one who gave birth to God,”, “God-Bearer,” “Mother of God,” or “The One Who Birthed God.” ) Furthermore, she nurtured and looked after him until the very end - standing steadfast at the foot of the Cross. 

ii) Mary had a strong faith and had no hesitation in accepting the Word of God brought by the Archangel Gabriel calling herself the handmaid of the Lord. This was the message given to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end." [Luke 1:26-38]

iii) Mary took on the burden of shame of being ostracized by society as an unwed mother, even as St Joseph, her betrothed, overcomes his doubts following a message from an Angel in a dream. [Matthew 1:20-25]

iv) Mary rushed to her elderly cousin Elizabeth’s side to help with the delivery of John the Baptist, even as Mary herself was pregnant. Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?  For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."  Mary's reply in witness to the greatness of God called the 'Canticle of Mary', or 'Magnificat', is the epitome of humble gratitude to God. [Luke 1:39-56]

v) Mary left the comfort of her home and family to undertake a perilous 10 to 14-day road trip to Bethlehem for the census ordered by Emperor Caesar Augustus (r. 27 BC - 14 AD). Both she and Joseph suffered the ignominy of giving birth in a stable, where inspired shepherds repeated the words of the Angels to Mary, "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord". Three wise men from the East come to pay homage to her Infant son, giving him Gold, Frankincense and Myhrr - gifts worthy of a king. [Matthew 1:18-23, 2:1-12] 

vi) Mary and Joseph, instead of returning home, had to flee with the Infant Jesus seeking refuge in Egypt, to save his life from the murderous Massacre of the Innocents by King Herod the Great. [Matthew 2:13–23]. The hardships of starting a new family in a strange land weren't in their plans and could not have been easy.

vii) Later, Mary suffered unimaginable anguish and pain when her 12-year-old son was lost during the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem for 3 long days and nights (a precursor to his ultimate death and resurrection 3 days later). Jesus's explanation like many of his public ministry must have perplexed them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?"  [Luke 2:41-52]

viii) At the Wedding at Cana in Galilee, Mary realized the wine was out and intuitively knew her son could remedy it, even if Jesus himself felt his hour had not come. At his mother's urging, this was the first public sign that Jesus did to manifest his glory and his disciples came to believe in him. [John 2:1-11]

ix) Mary watched Jesus grow in stature and leave home at age 30 to spread the Gospel to a largely disbelieving and later murderous audience including in his hometown of Nazareth. [Luke 4:14-30]. 

x) Mary watched helplessly as her son was arrested, tortured and publicly humiliated before being put to a shameful and excruciating death on the cross, knowing all along that he was innocent. [Matthew 27]

xi) Even in her pain, Mary willingly accepted her dying Son’s wishes to take on her role as the Mother of the beloved disciple John and by extension of all humanity. [John 19:25-27]

xii) Mary tenderly held the limp body of her dead son before he was put in a tomb. [Michaelangelo's Pieta, Matthew 27:55-60]

xiii) After Jesus' death, Mary has to deal with the puzzling disappearance of Jesus’ body from the tomb until he rises from the dead and visits her and the Apostles empowering them to spread the Gospel. I have a hunch that she probably intuited his Ascension into Heaven, mothers know after all. [Matthew 28:5-6, Matthew 28:16-20 Acts 1:6-11]

xiv) Mary and John the favorite Apostle have to flee Jerusalem for the safety of Ephesus when a bloodthirsty Tetrarch Herod Antipas seeking to appease the Jews ruthlessly hunts down early Christians to put them to death. Steadfast she supported and nurtured the infant Church like she did the Infant Jesus, living out the rest of her days in Ephesus [Acts 12:1-19]

xv) As a reward for her unflinching faith and fidelity, Mary is assumed body and soul into Heaven (Munificentissimus Deus c. 1950, says on account of her holiness, Mother Mary while yet incorrupt, while not yet deceived by the deadly snares of the most treacherous serpent; on the contrary, ever increased her original gift, and not only never lent an ear to the serpent, but by divinely given power she utterly destroyed the force and dominion of the evil one).

xvi) In more recent times there have been several Marian apparitions which are another beautiful way Mother Mary connects the faithful to get closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. Some of the most well-known apparitions, recognized by the Vatican include 

1. Our Lady of Guadalupe: 5 times on Mount Tepeyacac near Mexico City, Mexico, between December 9-12, 1513 to St. Juan Diego leading to the conversion of Mexico without spilling a drop of blood.
2. Our Lady of Knock: On August 21, 1879, fifteen people witnessed an altar in Knock, Ireland with a cross above it - upon the altar was the Paschal Lamb with Mother Mary, St Joseph and St John the Evangelist, standing for two hours in silence, as they prayed the Rosary. Her message was a call to prayer and a reminder of the importance of the Eucharist. 
3. Our Lady of Fatima: Six appearances in Fatima, Portugal between May 13, 1917, and October 13, 1917, to Lucia dos Santos and Jacinta and Francisco Marto. She urged the faithful to pray the Rosary daily, emphasizing the importance of seeking peace through prayer and devotion.
4. Our Lady of Lourdes: 18 appearances in Lourdes, France between February 11, 1858 and July 16, 1858, to St Bernadette Soubrious. Her message encourages devotion, prayer, and trust in God, especially during times of suffering. Her message also highlighted the significance of the baptism sacrament and the grotto’s healing waters, which many believe have miraculous properties. 
5. Virgin of the Poor: 8 appearances in Banneux, Belgium between 15, 1933 and March 2, 1933, to Mariette Beco. During the apparitions, Mary identified herself as the "Virgin of the Poor" and expressed a deep concern for the poor and suffering. She called for prayer, particularly for the sick and those in need, and encouraged people to trust in God's mercy. Her message also focused on the importance of the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, as a source of spiritual nourishment and healing.
6. Mother of the Word: Many appearances in Kibeho, Rwanda over eight years from November 28, 1981, to November 28, 1989, to Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka and Marie Claire Mukangango. Key aspects of her message include the importance of prayer, especially the Rosary, and a call to conversion and reconciliation. The apparitions also stress the need for peace in the world and highlight Mary’s role as a mediator and intercessor. She invited people to embrace a life of faith, hope, and charity, fostering a deeper commitment to God and one another.

[Source: Mayer, S. (2024, February 28). The Ultimate Guide to Marian Apparitions. Ascension Press Media. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://media.ascensionpress.com/2020/05/30/the-ultimate-guide-to-marian-apparitions/]

 

xvi) Our Most Blessed Virgin Mother continues interceding with her Son on behalf of the faithful mothers who never give up on their children. We should be humble to seek her help.

So yes, if any human would know, it most certainly would have been our Most Blessed Virgin Mother Mary, who would be first to know ...and as scripture tells us, "... and Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." [Luke 2:19]

Footnote

This series of posts, which I call, 'The Luke 11:9 Series', is an attempt to verbalise various aspects of my Catholic faith as revealed in Scripture; topics include Destination Heaven; Golden ticket; God's Grace; Seeds of Love; Mary, did you know?; Feel the love of God; Love your neighbour as yourself, The Good Shepherd; Receive the Sacraments often; Eucharistic Adoration; Communion of Saints; How to pray; Role-playing Scripture; Mary, Help of Christians; Understanding suffering; Forgiveness; Gratitude, the life-changing attitude; Life after death; One Body of Christ; and Hearts ablaze. I sincerely hope it helps you in your faith journey. Always turn to the Holy Spirit when you search for answers to your questions, because Luke 11:9 says, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."