Our Mother
Open hands, eyes looking down towards us with compassion and love, a face that is beautiful that seems to be untouched while having the image of maternal love and a pureness of heart, all of which cannot fully describe our Mother Mary. The mother of Jesus, the virgin, the Immaculate Conception, the holy one and the purest are just a few of the ideas I encountered growing up. Although I was taught these things I never really knew who she really was. Mary in my life was just there, but I’ve come to realize that I need her in my everyday life. I learned about Mother Mary, but I never truly had a deep and devoted relationship to her.
This year, I became a high school student: new school, new friends, new teacher, new everything. Change is good but it’s hard especially for me. I am a teenage girl doing what other teenage girls do. This point of my life has been the most challenging so far. I had a hard time “fitting in” and adjusting; I wasn’t true to myself and my beliefs. Things I wished never happened repeated over, and over again. I was tired. I was tired of going to school knowing that nothing would change, tired of coming back home pretending like everything was fine, tired of being put up with standards I put onto myself and raising the bar higher and higher because I was never satisfied.
But I came to the realization in my heart that I was not alone in my journey, not alone in reality, not alone in hardships, although I heard this several times. I had my family: my natural family and our supernatural family. Through our Mother Mary, through the power of the rosary, I was able to be set free from my emotions, especially from my anxiety. The rosary is said to be the weapon against all evil and harm. My weapon is the rosary. The love of the Mother, who leads me to God’s love and grace for salvation. I am but a peasant on this earth: broken, unclean, imperfect, worldly, sinful, and human. By praying the rosary, by praying and asking for Mother Mary’s help she willingly lifts our prayers to her son by purifying, sanctifying, and beautifying them just as she is.
To Jesus, through Mary. Through Mary, we are brought to Jesus Christ, her son. The image of Mary is so powerful. She is a role model to many. And of those many, my mom is one of them. Just as Mary has a motherly role in our life guiding Jesus as he grew up, my mom is my guide and light. I am not the best daughter. I am not the best person my mother deserves. Although I do not give my best all the time, my mom tries her best to do so. From day one, from the day I was born into the world, my mom has given her all to me. Through Mary, the new covenant was fulfilled by her ‘yes,’ to God. My mom’s ‘yes,’ was her promise to committing her life to me as my mother. My mom is my living Mary. She emulates her love and humility, and her pureness of heart.
Do not be afraid to go through the world with hardships. Do not be afraid to be crucified for your faith. To live one must experience death to live and to be reborn in the kingdom of God. Love is the only answer.
