Aug 4 Tue
Do the Gospels show some human virtues in Our Lady?
The Gospels reveal some aspects of our Mother's soul, namely, some human virtues. Among them:
1. SOLIDARITY: The Gospel of Saint Luke tells us that after the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would be the mother of Christ, Mary hurried off, running to the mountains of Judea to help her relative Elizabeth. Mary showed solidarity in the face of another’s need, risking her life and health to assist the elderly woman who needed her help.
The same sense of solidarity must move us to step outside ourselves, away from our comforts and our often selfish interests, to think of others and serve them, aware that we are all responsible for one another.
2.- EMPATHY: In his Gospel, Saint John recounts Mary’s concern when the wine ran out at the Wedding at Cana –a concern that went beyond mere pity, much less criticism. Mary was an empathetic woman who took action to find a solution to others’ needs.
In our case, we may not always have the solution to every problem at our fingertips, but empathy must move us to seek solutions together, setting aside destructive criticism and any personal, economic, partisan, or other interests to work for the common good.
3. RESPONSIBILITY: Saint Luke recounts an episode in the life of the holy family of Nazareth, when the child Jesus was lost and found in the temple. The twelve-year-old Jesus was left behind at the Temple of Jerusalem after a pilgrimage. Mary and Joseph, mindful of their responsibility as parents, returned to look for Jesus.
Even though they knew that Jesus was the Son of God, they were committed to caring for and raising him, and, as Scripture tells us, Jesus remained under their authority.
A country's future depends on the education of its children. It is an inalienable right of parents to educate their children according to their beliefs. Thus, all parents must assume this responsibility and ensure their children's well-rounded education.
This responsibility involves doing what is required according to the roles we fulfill—with honesty, dedication, integrity, and rectitude. If we all do our part responsibly, everything will go more smoothly in our society.
4. COMMUNION: The Acts of the Apostles tells us that Mary was with the apostolic community, united in prayer and in the breaking of bread. Mary was a woman of communion, of closeness; she did not create polarization.
In these early Christian communities, there were no individual interests; rather, people worked for the common good, for the good of all their brothers and sisters.
In our case, we must not allow purely partisan elements to polarize the family or working environment.
Thus, we must entrust our society to Mary’s maternal intercession and ask for the grace to imitate her virtues of solidarity, empathy, responsibility, and communion.