Mary - episode 1

A sword through the soul

We stop for a moment the reading of the New Testament to dedicate two Specials to the character of Mary, Jesus and all the believers’ mother, and to the “path of Faith” (see Lumen Gentium, n. 58) she had to walk in. This asked her (and it asks every Christian even now) to quit from cultural, social and familiar prejudices to fully embrace the Son of God’s Gospel. I follow the book Nostra Signora degli Eretici (by f. Alberto Maggi, Cittadella publishing company) for most of the cues.
The gospel of Luke, after its prologue, starts with two announcements, in which Angel Gabriel brings a happy message (an unexpected child’s birth) with very different results. The first one is to Zechariah, future father of John the Baptist; he and his wife are of priestly lineage and «They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord» (Luke 1,6). When the angel arrives, he is in the Jerusalem Temple while he is doing the incense offering (an honor he could have only once in lifetime, due to the high number of the priests and their turns): it seems to be the perfect situation for Gabriel’s mission success, but something goes wrong. Zechariah does not believe the God who makes possible even the impossible things, who speaks by His messenger: «I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years» (Luke 1,18); the angel answers: «I am Gabriel [the name means “God is my strength”], who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. And look, you will be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things will happen, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time» (Luke 1,19-20). The setting now moves to Galilee, a quite despised border region (see Isaiah - episode 3) that was far from the Jerusalem religious center, in an unknown little town: Nazareth. The angel brings a very special message, to a woman (to the patriarchal society of the time a person with tiny importance): he proposes to her, who is already engaged (she risks to be condemned to death as an adulteress) to become the mother of the Son of God (a real «blasphemy» to the Hebrew monotheism, see Matt 26,65). Mary «was greatly troubled» by the angel’s salutation (see Luke 1,29); this goes greatly beyond all she had experienced and she had been taught until the moment: what to do? In the proposition she received, she recognizes the presence of the Most High and, despite the fact that she does not understand it completely, she gives her willingness against all the social and religious conventions of the time: «See, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word» (Luke 1,38).



On one side Zechariah and Elizabeth’s failure, as they were “barren” persons (see Luke 1,7) in their apparently perfect religiosity; on the other the great faith of a Galilean girl (probably aged 12 or 13) that makes her so fruitful as to generate the Son of God in the world.
Even the circumstances of Jesus’ birth probably puzzle Mary: the Son of the Most High «placed [...] in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn» (Luke 2,7)? And what kind of “bad companies” who visit Him: some poor shepherds, socially considered as “bad lots”, thieves and assassins if they had the opportunity. The angel who notifies them of the extraordinary birth has to reassure them; the awaited Messiah did not arrive to eliminate sinners, but to save them: «Do not be afraid, for see, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, [...] a Savior» (Luke 2,10-11). There come even some «wise men from the east» (see Matt 2,1-12), persons belonging to another culture and religion, considered by the Hebrews constantly unclean due to their “demonic” practices. The meeting with Jesus deeply transforms both the visitors: the shepherds glorify and praise God like angels (see Luke 2,20); the wise men «rejoiced with exceedingly great joy» (see Matt 2,10). The “respectable” persons we expected to find near Jesus (the chiefs in politics and religion) are instead very «troubled»: in the great changes that the newly born Messiah will bring they see a danger for their human power and they seek Jesus to kill Him (see Matt 2,1-18). Mary once again trusts in God, leaving to the meditation of her heart all the events that she does not understand (see Luke 2,19; 2,51).
The old Simeon’s prophecy in the Temple, in the time of Mary’s purification after the childbirth, becomes the symbol of her whole life: «Look, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against. Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed» (Luke 2,34-35). The author of the Letter of the Hebrews and the Apostle Paul explain us the deep meaning of that «sword»: «For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart» (Heb 4,12); «take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God» (Eph 6,17). Jesus Christ and His Word are the sword that pierced Mary’s soul and that committed her to make a clear decision: «He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters» (Matt 12,30).
In the next post we will tell the conclusion of the “path of Faith” that Mary walked in during her earthly life.