about Mary the Virgin Mother of God and how I feel about her presence in the world.
I have always felt connected to Mary in my life and have prayed rosaries and novenas in her honour .
In the catholic church we call her the Blessed Virgin .
I often think Of Mary before and even after the birth of Jesus
and wonder what life must have been like for her in Nazareth .
I would assume that it would have been a simple way of life back then.
With no computers or telephones the news would have been all word of mouth .
There would have been plenty of time to spend talking and walking .
Story tellers would have been visiting from place to place
bringing the news from distant places .
With no TVs , washing machines ,
fridges and house hold appliances each day
would have been spent doing a variety of household chores
and other activities to meet the needs of the family.
Morning’s would have begun early with a walking to fetch some water from the well
or river . The lighting of a fire to cook breakfast and to keep warm .
The need to boil water in order to wash clothing
may have been done early so they could be hung during the day.
There would have been food to prepare
and maybe a trip to the market place
to either buy or sell vegetables and produce .
The men from the village would have worked in the fields
toiling soil and sewing seeds .
It would have seen a joint effort from neighbours in order to get the harvest in .
The climate would have seen hot sun without rain bringing drought
mixed in with other seasons bringing heavy rain .
It would have been a difficult place to tend crops
and much of the land would have been barren .
There would have been herds of sheep to look after .
Shepherds back then had the time and the right conditions to speak to God
in the quiet places . There would have been many things discussed then I’m sure .
The psalms are full of such conversations with men who cried out to God in great despair .
It must have been a loneliness then for those people
who could not find any answer to sadness of their heart .
No one knew was to come in the days ahead .
Jesus had not yet been born .
They hoped for a sign .
When Mary was 14, which was about the age a Jewish girl was expected to marry
also would have wondered what the future would hold .
Only God knew the answer to all this .
Gods plan was about to commence .
When Mary and Joseph were betrothed in marriage Mary returned to her
parent's home at Nazareth to make ready for the wedding.
While she was there, the angel Gabriel appeared to her and
announced that she was to be the mother of Jesus.
By the power of the holy Spirit she had conceived the child .
The fact that she was visited by the Angel Gabriel
which must have been the very first sign of God speaking to Mary in person .
Who could Mary have told ?
Who would have believed her when she said she was pregnant without sexual intercourse .
Joseph the man who was to be wed to Mary was unable to accept the news of Mary’s pregnancy until he was told in a dream that the baby had been conceived by the Holy Spirit and should be named Jesus which means Yahweh saves ..
After this Joseph took Mary into his home and remained with her .
The image I have always had of the virgin Mary
is that of somebody who was quiet and very private in her village .
Especially at this time when local people must have been talking about
the woman living with Joseph .
The fact is that Jesus the son of God was born of a human Mother .
Jesus is often referred to as Mary’s son
which indicates that the relationship or the connection between them was a little different to most as back in those times a boy was known as the son of his father .
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem it was said that a great light had come to shatter the darkness . In relation to this Mary can be known as The Mother of Light .
A Poem by Paul McCann
Mother Of Light
Dear Mother Of Sorrows, Mother Of Grace,
Mother of Jesus I come to this place
I humbly pray for your intercession
for the people to come in procession .
Dear Mother of Sorrows, Mother of Light,
We offer to you our prayers day and night .
Rosaries, novenas, litanies too,
hear us Dear Mother as we implore you
It is hard here in this world where we live ,
so many hearts are unable to give ,
Help us Dear Mary , Dear Mother of Grace ,
I am asking for your help in this place .
Mother Of Sorrows I ask you today,
for you to answer these words that I pray .
Ask your son Jesus if he could help too ,
please tell him I don't know what else to do .
Mother of Jesus ,Dear Mother of Hope ,
help of all Christians please help us to cope ,
in a world where we're not welcome to be ,
I ask for Christian strength and unity
Mother of Sorrows you know very well ,
how hurt and rejection try to repel ,
Gods voice in the world that ever will call,
the truth that he holds for us one and all .
Mother of infinite goodness you are
the candle alight and the shining star
guide us through the darkness we humbly pray,
and bring us to God's love everyday .
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but we do know that in the time when Jesus was a boy the village had about two thousand people that lived there .
It was situated near a trade route to Egypt .
A few miles from Nazareth was a place that the Romans crucified people and burnt their crosses ,
so Jesus as a boy would have seen the smoke from those fires .
His childhood would have been spent helping his parents with daily chores around the house . The fact that Joseph was a carpenter indicates that Jesus would have witnessed furniture and other items being made . He would have spent much of his time speaking to his parents and listening to what they said .Their love for Jesus would have been unconditional . Knowing how special he was and wondering what kind of life lay in store .
Mary’s son grew up in a place where there was no cars or petrol stations .
Mary’s son grew up in a place
where community life was important and love existed between neighbours .
Mary’s son was now speaking to learned men in the temple .
Mary’s son realised that he had to be doing his Fathers business .
Mary’s son became aware of his divinity .
Mary's Son
By Paul McCann She walked through the wind on footsteps of grace
carrying her child and a smile on her face ,
burning with pride for there inside she carried God's own son .
She raised him with love ,
then like a lamb he went over the hills carrying his love within a heart heaven sent
man's saviour Jesus Christ had come .
Our Father of creation full of love,
we thank you for the gift of Jesus our saviour,
Mary's child .
Son of the Father the incarnate one .
We walk through this world of sorrow and strife ,
and Christians like us must carry our cross .
The cross of Jesus Christ , our king and holy one.
Mary's son |
If you recall the wedding feast at Cana
when she told Jesus that there was no more wine for the wedding guests .
This is one instance when Jesus performed a miracle for Mary and turned the water into wine .
Mary’s son began to perform many other miracles
then and many people must have known that he was mush more than they had thought .
The dead were raised , the deaf heard , the blind saw ,
the sick were healed m the hungry were fed , lepers were cured ,
storms were quelled and demons cast out .
People then must have wondered who is this man ?
Mary knew .
God knew . Still there were sceptics .
At 30 Jesus had changed the world .
Three years later Jesus was crucified on a cross .
Mary’s son was nailed to a cross on Calvary .
Her sorrow must have been enormous ,
The love of a Mother for her son and that image remains with us to this very day .
Oh how cruel . How she must have wept for her son .
When we suffer and are in pain , Mary can relate .
No matter how difficult is .
Mary can understand .
If you ask in your suffering through the intercession of Mary
you will receive healing and comfort .
Mary’s son listens to his Mother and Mary will continue to pleads for us
to her son Jesus .
Mary is the gentle voice and will persist until Jesus listens .
Shrines and Grottos have been erected all over the world in honour of the Virgin Mary .
She has appeared before many in different countries ,
In times of war and trouble Mary appears to intercede to her son for us .
If you are affected by conflict and hatred
and ask the Blessed Mary to intervene on your behalf to her son ,
Jesus will respond .
By Paul McCann
The End
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