Mary, Mother of the Living
Biblical Litany of Our Lady
I have always like the phrase, "The Lord writes straight with crooked
lines...", it is a line that gives me hope in my sinfulness, ineptness, and
inabilities. "The Lord chooses the lowly to confound the strong", is also
a favorite reflection that describes a similar action of the Lord. God
can use any one of us, at anytime, for good. Well he certainly used both
Eve, Mother of the living and Mary, Mother of the living for our good!
In Gen. 2:20, "Adam called his wife Eve, because she became the mother
of all the living". Her failure in saying no to God in the garden, did
not deter her from saying yes to life outside the gates of Eden, and
thus give birth to humankind! She was open to life; even the promised
"pangs of birth" did not deter her.
In Gall 4:4 it states that at a "designated time God sent forth his Son,
born of a woman." Mary was her name and she gave birth to our Savior and
became the Mother of the redeemed, mother of what the living had been
destined to become before the fall. She gave birth to the Church below
the Cross, with her yes to the "pangs of birth" endured in union with
Son, on Calvary (Jn 19:26).
Mary, is actually a daughter of Eve because of Eve's openness to life and giving birth of humanity; we have the other woman, Mary, who would complete the process in her Yes
to give life to the Savior, and through and with Him, we have a new life
born from the side of Christ bringing about Mother Church. Mary and the
Church achieve for us salvation and sanctification, the fullness of
life.
When I reflect on Eve and Mary both mothers of the living - each in her
own right, I am filled with hope and happiness. Nothing is impossible
with God, and even more astounding that He uses poor human instruments
to bring about great things, life and holiness. Pro Life and Pro
Sanctity for this reason go hand in hand and both are indebted to a
woman. We have humanity through Eve and holiness through Mary.
Oh Lord, how amazing are your ways. May Mary, Mother of the Living
inspire us to be fully human in relation to her sister, Eve, and fully
alive with the graces that she open to us through her Yes to the Father!
May the cause of the sanctity of life go on, hand in hand, with our
mothers, Eve and Mary. How beautiful are the crooked lines of our
humanity straightened by your love. Amen!
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Pro Sanctity Movement/Teresa Monaghen
11002 N. 204th St.
Elkhorn, NE 68022
402-289-2670
Thought for the day ... G. Giaquinta
Let us sow goodness and holiness, and we will see barren fields bloom.
Advent Reflection 2010: Mary, Mother of the Living, pray for us!
