Blessed Be Mary

Mary Our Blessed Mother who I dearly love is someone who I have been devoted to for years .

Yet I asked myself how well do I know her .

If I may just take a little of your time to share some of my thoughts 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 household 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 ,born from hardship and suffering .

The psalms are full of such depths of conversation between man and God who cried out 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 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 .

Mother Of Light -
By P McCann

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,
I offer to you prayers each day and night .

Rosaries, novenas, litanies too,
hear me Dear Mother as Ie 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'm asking for your help here 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 pray 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 .

A prayer- Poem by Paul McCann

The miracle of the birth of Jesus birth was such a powerful event that the world would be changed forever .
Christianity was now alive and miracles and wonders would soon be seen in the world .

Not much has been documented about the childhood of Jesus 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 helped with making furniture and other items Joseph may have made .

Jesus 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 .

A Poem entitled

Mary's Son

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 .

Poem by P McCann

Many times in the life mof Jesus he continued to listen to Mary ,when ever she spoke or asked him for something .

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 much more than they had thought .

The dead were raised ,
the deaf heard , paralitic found their feet and walked .
The muted talked and blind saw .
The sick were healed and 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 and senseless this act .
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 .

Jesus now intercedes to his Father on our behalf that we may be forgiven and saved .

We have a friend in Jesus and his Mother is our source of perpetual help .

Blessed be her holy name .

By Paul McCann

The End

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