Miyerkules, Marso 20, 2013

The Seven Words of Mary in the Scriptures by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.


If you want to get the deepest insight into a person's character, listen to her speak. Her own words will reveal much about the essence of who she is. Hence, the Blessed Virgin Mary's words, as reported in the Bible, can well serve as revealing indicators about herself.
The first "word" of Mary sounds its note in Luke 1:34 - "How can this be since I do not know man?" The key to this word is the interrogative "How?" The Virgin opens a dialogue with God. Her question is not that of a skeptic; rather that of a sincere believer. She is prayerfully trying to discern the meaning of God's word, the workings of God's power, and the impact of God's presence in her life.
The second "word" of Mary follows in Luke 1:38a - "I am the servant of the Lord." The key to this word is the label "servant." Out of Mary's personal dialogue with God emerges a clear understanding of her identity before God. Her being and her functioning unite in one integrated whole: a graced life as God's consecrated "servant."
The third "word" of Mary, Luke 1:38b, stands out in sharp relief as the most important phrase in the New Testament: "Let it be done to me as you say." The Latin version of Luke uses one word for the phrase "Let it be": FIAT. This word "Fiat" has been interpreted to mean Mary's "yes" to God, her act of surrender, her word of obedience. Her trust in God is total.
The fourth "word" of Mary is her longest: Luke 1:46-55 - "My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord...even as he promised...Abraham and his descendants forever." This is the famous "Magnificat" canticle of thanksgiving that Mary sang during the visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, as the unborn John the Baptist stirred for joy in his mother's womb. Weaving together Old Testament verses familiar to her, Mary celebrates the works of God. Her "Magnificat" is one extended word of supernatural charity - expressing how acts of faith become acts of love. Mary's "fiat" in practice leads to her "Magnificat."
The fifth "word" of Mary can be heard in the next chapter of St. Luke, as Mary and Joseph locate the adolescent Jesus among the elders in the Temple: Luke 2: 48 - "Son... Your father and I have been searching for you with sorrow." Her invocation "Son" unlocks the meaning of the whole phrase. The preoccupation of Mary's life is Jesus Christ. In Mary is Scripture's premiere example of single hearted concentration on Christ.
The sixth "word" of Mary is spoken in the Gospel of John 2:3, at the wedding feast of Cana: "They have no more wine." The "wine" of Cana foreshadows the wine of the New Covenant to be poured out on Calvary. Similarly, the "hour" about which Jesus speaks to Mary at Cana ultimately means his "hour of glory" on Calvary. Accordingly, this sixth word of Mary is linked to the Holy Eucharist. She continually presents humanity's needs to her Son, knowing that he will satisfy their thirsts with the Eucharist. Until the end of time and into eternity, she will point the way to the Blessed Sacrament.
The seventh and final "word" of Mary, in John 2:5, is addressed to the Cana waiters: "Do whatever he tells you." The action verb "do" is a mandate to mission. The command of Cana extends far beyond the circumstance of a small Galilean wedding. All humanity is to work for Jesus Christ.
This seven-faceted prism through which the Scriptures present the person of Mary is also a seven-sided mirror in which all of us can see ourselves. In her How?, Servant, Fiat, Magnificat, Son, Wine, and Do, we are invited to look at a model of Christian life. Mary's earthly journey pioneered the path that God wishes us to walk in this world. Those seven words led Mary to heaven. As we make her words our own, she gently beckons us to the same heavenly destiny.
source:http://www.thegreyfriars.org/index.php/component/content/article/52-various-articles/111-the-seven-words-of-mary-in-the-scriptures-by-fr-james-mccurry-ofm-conv

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