Personal Reflections on Mary: Caretaker of Christ & Queen of Heaven

Dear sisters,

Meet Mary, the comforter of the manliest man, our Lord Jesus. 

The Gift of Mary’s Discipleship

Mary is the light for the downtrodden, oppressed, and discriminated against. Our Lady of Hope isa beautiful model of motherhood and discipleship. To truly imitate this discipleship is to allow the grace of God to overflow in our hearts, and respond accordingly. We have so much to learn from Mary, and God gives us the grace to be able to imitate her devotion to Him. Think about it.  We have the possibility to be like Mary, as the caretaker of Christ. What would happen if we were the caretakers of Christ?

A Caretaker of Christ

        Let’s imagine seeing ourselves as caretakers of Christ. Our relationships with Him would change: we would spend more time thinking about God, we would blame Him less, we would not take our fortunes as signs of His favor or displeasure, and we would put in more effort to make the world a more peaceful place. What does this look like in your life?        

 As caretakers of Christ, we would become much more aware of God’s divine presence being anywhere and everywhere – in us at all times.  As stewards who live in the world, but not of the world, it is our obligation to put effort into making the world a more holy place, as we strive to be like Mary, as caretaker of the Lord Our God.

Mary Links Us To Her Son

Instead of doing anything for herself, all her actions are for Him, because as His mother she desires her Son to be made known. She does not seek the feelings she got as she saw her Son being scourged and nailed to the Cross, but accepts the sorrow that enters her heart. As we sin, the Lord is whipped and beaten as he was during His time on earth - it hurts Him to see us sin.  This is why Mother Mary’s intercession is so powerful: she connects and strengthens our relationship with her Son, so that we might be open to the grace He gives us to overcome sin.  Our turn away from sin, towards His Heart is a salve to His wounds and softens the suffering He undergoes as a result of the world’s sin.  Mary’s Heart too, united with Her Son’s, is consoled as her children come to Her Son.

Mary’s Intercession as Queen of Heaven

            If anyone can put a good word for us, it is our Lady, Mary.  She reigns high in the Heavens between the saints and Christ Himself in the chain of ascendance toward God. Because of the great submission and love shown by Mary, her requests and influence is so powerful with the Lord that He readily fulfills them.  He does not resist His dear mother’s desires. However, the Queen of Heaven is not a strong intercessor in the sense that she can change God’s mind according to what we want, but in the sense that she conforms her children’s prayers according to His plan; her prayers and intercession are strong because she is united to the Father’s will. 

Mary’s guidance and aid is more powerful than that of all the angels and saints because she is Queen of them!  By God’s desire, she has been given authority over the saints and angels and tasked to assign the thrones of Heaven to the angels and saints, made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. 

Mary's Magnificat

So Christ has made her Queen of Heaven and earth, and given her so much power…yet she remains so humble!  She does not attempt to overshadow the Lord; instead, all she desires and works toward is for the Father’s will to be fulfilled.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;

behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

The Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

He has shown might with his arm,

dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones

but lifted up the lowly.

The hungry he has filled with good things;

the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped Israel his servant,

remembering his mercy,

according to his promise to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Luke 1:46-55

Mother Mary’s powerful intercession and model of discipleship is a result of her submissiveness to the Lord’s will, her humility, and her love of God. She is able to live out these virtues through God’s graces and also through her perspective as the Mother of God. guides us to follow His will and overcome sin, so that she might alleviate even a drop of her Son’s suffering. As children of God, let us strive to see everything from the perspective of Mary, Mother of God, our own Mother as well. Let us use the ample grace she constantly offers us through her intercession to be comforters of the Lord, so that we might make Christ Her Son known.

My only pleasure would be to comfort you, my Sweet Savior.

In Mary's Arms,

Jillian

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Jillian is a sophomore studying Communications.  She fancies pugs, long walks on the beach, and has a mad talent for wedding photography, which she hopes to make a career of.  You'll often find her hanging out with Theotokos household, flipping pancakes, or snuggling with her friends.  Also, she loves Jesus through Mary!