MARY HAS AN ACTIVE VOICE

A flashback at my attitude towards devotion to Mary over the years, right from when I was growing up in the village, attending Bloc Rosary with my brothers and Sacred Heart with my mother till now, reveals almost a disappointing attitude. The years have been characterized by inconsistency and disproportionate commitment to devotion to Mary. But there is something that has remained consistent over these years: the trust and love that propelled the devotion. On reflection, I’ve been able to categorize my attitude towards our Mother Mary into three, each overshadowing my devotion at a particular time. These three categories I’ m about to mention are strictly Marian in character, and should together form every devotion to Mary. But the fact that I related to our Mother Mary in three distinct categories shows, not necessary growth in understanding, but a ‘shift’ in understanding.

First I related to Mary almost solely as a messenger in time of need. Devotion at this stage is geared towards ‘manipulating’ our Mother into bringing the blessings we need. Of course, she is our intercessor but still more…

The second sees Mary as a model. In fact, an idealistic figure, well portrayed and acknowledged, and deserving of honor. Instead of allowing her high virtues of influence one’s life, this idealistic attitude  tends to give her disinterested honor.

The third is when I allow the above two to influence me, allowing the mystery of the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in salvation history to permeate my being. This is when I begin to realize that Mary has an active voice, an influential presence. She was the one who said to the Angel, “how can this come about?” (Lk 1:34). She raised her voice and proclaimed the greatness of the almighty (Lk 1:46—55). It was the Virgin Mary who directed the servants to Jesus with the sound instruction: “do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2: 5).

The experience of Mary’s active voice in our Christian journey became more compelling to me during my pastoral year. When we relate to Mary as a person—a Mother—and respond to her active voice, we begin to enter into the experiences of the servants at the wedding in Cana. Our heightened anxiety over having run out of wine—the wine of moral strength, fidelity to our commitment, empty jars of spirituality—would be calmed down. And we begin to encounter Jesus in a new way. All leads to Jesus! Jesus, our ultimate end, will refill us. And we begin too to relate to Him in a concrete way, as a person. Most of the time, the attitude we mete out to our Mother Mary is the same we transfer to Jesus.

Jude Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R

Mother of Perpetual Help Devotion

Redeemer House, Ibadan.

17/02/09