Mary My Lord’s Mother

Missionary Weekly Reflection
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, 18 August 2019
Feast of The Assumption of Virgin Mary
Rev. 11:19a; 12:1,3-6a,10ab; Ps. 45:10bc,11,12ab; 1 Cor. 15:20-26; Luk. 1:39-56

In the Gospel of Luke Mary did exist with full of expression: she asked, travelling, passing by relatives, singing, etc. Her thought, astonishment and joy were expressed freely. Today Mary sings. This song was created in the context of a meeting between two great women. They both experienced God’s masterpiece: Elizabeth was pregnant at her old age, Mary was pregnant when she was a virgin. They met to share joys and admiration on God’s work. Sharing faith experience, confessing of how good is God, how His plan and work were not comprehensible. This meeting also relieved them both from burden and social pressure. Getting pregnant before marriage was a punishment. Having no child till old ages would be mocked. So, their meeting became the moment for encouraging each other. It became clear why their meeting was started with joyful greeting, not weeping in sorrow. That is a fruitful meeting, not a meeting for nostalgia or for sharing gossip or raising up hoax.

The meeting of two mothers also brought the two sons together. Right after Mary greeted, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb jumped. A baby moving inside a mother’s womb is a normal and natural symptom. But for Elizabeth that was extraordinary phenomenon. The movement of her baby was a sign and prophecy. Elizabeth immediately realized that she was dealing with “God’s mother”. This recognition was only possible because Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled her to capture the baby’s movement as a prophecy, that in her relative’s womb there was God. An implied message: only the Holy Spirit enables us to know the presence of Mary’s Child in various signs and events, as well as the ordinary.

Then, the meeting of two super women at the same time became a moment of revelation about their children. Since they were in the womb, the two children’s roles had been determined. Both of them had known each other and showed each other. John was the first to move: He would indeed become the first to work. It’s because he was the herald who prepared the people to welcome God. He would be the predecessor who “sent” human to Jesus. Today his mother knows Mary as the “mother of Lord” (Luk. 1:43). Later, John’s task was to prepare the “way of the Lord” (Luk. 3:4). “Meeting” with baby Jesus made John jump with joy. This is not superficial joy, but a deep one. It was the meeting between the pledge (John) and fulfillment (Jesus). This anticipated the whole essence of Jesus’ work in the Gospel of Luke: Jesus is messenger of true joy and happiness wherever He goes.

The specificity of Jesus is reflected in the glory of His mother. She was “blessed” because of two virtues. First, because in her womb there was God Himself (Luk. 1:42). Her distinctive relation with Jesus was impossible to be owned by others. Only Mary is the physical mother of the Messiah. Second, because Mary believed (Luk. 1:45) in the word of God about the Child. She is the model and example of how we should believe. Believe that every word, plan and promise from the God will definitely be done and at the same time we are prepared to be involved in carrying out the promise and plan of Lord.

(Hortensio Mandaru – Indonesia Bible Society, Jakarta)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy and sorrow in the unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the world salvation. May the Holy Spirit, as the soul of Jesus, also lead and give me the strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with St. Mary, Mother of Jesus and the Church, I specially present my prayer to our Pope and Indonesian Church prayer apostles of this month:

For Evangelization intention:

Family as the school of humanity development: May, with the life of prayer and love, the families are more enabled to become the schools of true humanity, being lived and developed. We pray…

For Indonesian Church intention:

Inter-religious harmony: May, in establishing the harmony between religious communities, the Catholics are enabled to see the kindness and sincerity from other religious communities. We pray…

Special intention:

May the people in our diocese in faith and national loyalty, inflame nasionalism with wisdom in the village and in the places of activity in the community. We pray….

Amen