“Follow Mama Mary”

“Assumption is soon coming,” Fr. Peter Kusunoki, the parish priest of The Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Tsukuba, Japan reminded us. “Follow Mama Mary,” he stressed.

Today's write-up may be more appropriate for August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mama Mary. However, the simplicity yet profound message of Fr. Peter may be better to share earlier with you all for a more meaningful appreciation and reflection of the Feast of the Assumption.

What did Mama Mary do that we must follow her?

Fr. Peter explained. Mama Mary did not understand so many things that came her way.

Let us recall the Annunciation. When Angel Gabriel greeted her,” Hail, favored one! The Lord IS with you,” Luke 1 verse 29- tells us that Mama Mary “was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

However, despite her early apprehension and questions, Mama Mary accepted God's will as hers. This is what IS exemplary about Mama Mary, her total submission to God's will.?

This is well described in Luke 1, verses 30-38.

After hearing from Angel Gabriel not to be afraid for she has found favor with God (verse 30) and that she will conceive in her womb and bear Jesus (verse 31), and after knowing that” the Holy Spirit will come upon “and the power of the Most High will overshadow “her and her child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God,” Mama Mary uttered her most remembered reply, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

With all the challenges before her, that of facing the doubt and judgment of Joseph and others about her accepting to be the mother of Jesus, of finding a place for Jesus to be born in, of looking for Jesus when he was left behind at the Temple, and more, most especially, when as a mother, she had to see the trials of her Son, especially His crucifixion and death on the cross, how her heart may have been pierced several times over.

Still, she persevered- all throughout her life, she never once surrendered. She never ever gave up on her agreement with God- “ Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”

“Learn from Mama Mary,” Fr. Peter stressed. No matter what happened, no matter the sorrows that came her way, she completed submitted herself to God's will. She kept going on because she trusted God completely, absolutely.

Mothers can learn from Mama Mary when challenges and trials come their way. All of us can learn from Mama Mary and her complete alignment of her will with God's! Doing so made her human life bearable, doing God's will gave meaning to her life, doing God's will made her human life divine.

“Remember our Mother Mary and pray the rosary,” Fr. Peter concluded.

What is so important about praying the Rosary, as Mama Mary herself keeps on reminding us herself throughout her various apparitions?

First, we affirm our belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as we start the rosary. Then we pray the prayer taught by Jesus, Mama Mary's Son Himself. “Our Father, who art in heaven, holy be Thy name, THY WILL BE DONE on earth as it is in heaven… Then we pray over and over,  Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb, JESUS…” The Rosary is about GOD and God's love and how submission to His will, as Mama Mary did, completed God's plan for all humankind of love and redemption!

Mama Mary, a human being, accepted God's will for her and fully surrendered her whole life doing so. For sure, despite the pains and challenges that came her way, God's love and peace saw her throughout her stay on earth. Her act of love aligned with God's unfathomable love for us all, His creation.

Despite her being human, God conferred to her the divine privilege of being the mother of Jesus, God's son. If all of us human beings willingly and joyfully surrender our own will to God's will, then like Mama Mary, with her Assumption into heaven and her coronation, God will welcome us in His home forever, with His eternal love, rest, and peace.

Mama Mary showed us the way. We just have to follow and learn from her complete surrender to God… “Let it be done, according to Your will.”

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