The Promised Woman
An explanation of the beautiful prerogatives of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God,
showing she is the one God promised
would crush the head of Satan.
Pages
36- 39Mother and Widow
After the finding of the
boy Jesus
in the Temple, Scripture is silent until the beginning of the Public
Ministry.
Why is it so silent? Every moment of His Life is important to us and we know nothing of this span of time.
Why is it so silent? Every moment of His Life is important to us and we know nothing of this span of time.
36 Mother and Widow
Only
Mary knew all that He said and did during that time. We know that all
the first-hand information in St. Luke's and St. Mathew's Gospels must
have come from Mary herself. Who else would know those hidden secrets
and events?
Then why did she not tell more? There can only be one answer: she told only those things concerning herself that gave glory to God, proved her Son's Divinity, and showed His Power as manifested in the lowly.
All the events that concerned her personally, manifested her holiness, or showed her dignity as Mother of the Divine Word, she kept hidden.
Scripture says it is good to keep the secrets of the King and she kept hers well.
The new Eve, unlike the first Eve, would never eclipse her God. She was His humble handmaid and her only joy was and is to see Him glorified.
She lived the words that John the Baptist would one day say, "He must increase but I must decrease."
These years were no doubt years of spiritual maturity for Mary.
We can see from her life thus far that she had moments of great joy and great pain.
Then why did she not tell more? There can only be one answer: she told only those things concerning herself that gave glory to God, proved her Son's Divinity, and showed His Power as manifested in the lowly.
All the events that concerned her personally, manifested her holiness, or showed her dignity as Mother of the Divine Word, she kept hidden.
Scripture says it is good to keep the secrets of the King and she kept hers well.
The new Eve, unlike the first Eve, would never eclipse her God. She was His humble handmaid and her only joy was and is to see Him glorified.
She lived the words that John the Baptist would one day say, "He must increase but I must decrease."
These years were no doubt years of spiritual maturity for Mary.
We can see from her life thus far that she had moments of great joy and great pain.
Though
she drank to the dregs her cup
of sorrow, she never faltered.
Though she often pondered, she never questioned.
Though she did not always understand, she never doubted.
Though at times she was set aside, she never rebelled.
Though she often pondered, she never questioned.
Though she did not always understand, she never doubted.
Though at times she was set aside, she never rebelled.
Of
the Lord's life on earth, 91% was hidden, and of Mary's life, 97%. The
Holy of Holies and "Nature's Solitary Boast" lived lives of deep prayer
before great works. They would stay close to the Source of all good
works and drink deep of the fountain of living waters—the Father.
Somewhere between the Lord's twelfth year and public ministry, Joseph must have died for he is not mentioned again in Scripture.
Somewhere between the Lord's twelfth year and public ministry, Joseph must have died for he is not mentioned again in Scripture.
37 Mother and Widow
We
cannot imagine a more
blessed death as we see Jesus and Mary near his side at that moment.
What peace filled his soul as he realized his time of parting had come.
He was a faithful foster father and a loving spouse, and he longed to
see the Father whose Son he had cared for with such love. But he must
wait for the gates of Heaven would not be open until the Promised One
had broken their seals.
Mary's love for Jesus did not lessen her sense of loss after Joseph's death. Her love for Joseph was pure and detached but ardent. She loved him as one chosen by God to protect and care for herself and her Son.
Jesus took up the carpenter work and spoke to the villagers about the Messiah.
Jesus and Mary must have spent hours together talking about the Kingdom and the Father.
Why this hidden life when there was so much to do, so many people to heal, so many to feed, so many dying in abject poverty?
His chosen people were under the yoke of Rome and they were without a prophet.
How different is the Wisdom of God compared to men! If we were in His place, we would have gone to the Temple and enlightened the Doctors of the Law, healed all the sick, made social reforms, and written volumes for future generations.
But instead, the Lord of Heaven spent thirty years alone with His Mother doing common work and in union with the Father in prayer. It was necessary to spend so much time with His Mother because of her mission. Later, he would do the same with Peter, James, and John, who also had a special mission.
Peter as head of the Church, James as the first martyr, and John who lived the longest and wrote the most about His Divinity—these men saw Him transfigured, raise the daughter of Jairus, and suffer in the Garden of Agony.
If this were to be true of Apostles, how much more so for His mother who had so much to endure, so much to learn, and so much to give.
He must have taught her the Beatitudes, the New Commandment, and the Counsels. He must have directed her
gine a more
blessed death as we see Jesus and Mary near his side at that moment.
What peace filled his soul as he realized his time of parting had come.
He was a faithful foster father and a loving spouse, and he longed to
see the Father whose Son he had cared for with such love. But he must
wait for the gates of Heaven would not be open until the Promised One
had broken their seals.Mary's love for Jesus did not lessen her sense of loss after Joseph's death. Her love for Joseph was pure and detached but ardent. She loved him as one chosen by God to protect and care for herself and her Son.
Jesus took up the carpenter work and spoke to the villagers about the Messiah.
Jesus and Mary must have spent hours together talking about the Kingdom and the Father.
Why this hidden life when there was so much to do, so many people to heal, so many to feed, so many dying in abject poverty?
His chosen people were under the yoke of Rome and they were without a prophet.
How different is the Wisdom of God compared to men! If we were in His place, we would have gone to the Temple and enlightened the Doctors of the Law, healed all the sick, made social reforms, and written volumes for future generations.
But instead, the Lord of Heaven spent thirty years alone with His Mother doing common work and in union with the Father in prayer. It was necessary to spend so much time with His Mother because of her mission. Later, he would do the same with Peter, James, and John, who also had a special mission.
Peter as head of the Church, James as the first martyr, and John who lived the longest and wrote the most about His Divinity—these men saw Him transfigured, raise the daughter of Jairus, and suffer in the Garden of Agony.
If this were to be true of Apostles, how much more so for His mother who had so much to endure, so much to learn, and so much to give.
He must have taught her the Beatitudes, the New Commandment, and the Counsels. He must have directed her
38 Mother and Widow
pure soul through all the
pathways
of the inner life so she would understand as others traveled its ways.
He must have
explained the Scriptures so she
would understand the value of suffering, for many swords would pierce
her heart.
And perhaps the greatest suffering during this time was the realization that as each day passed, the time of the public ministry and separation drew closer.
There is hardly any suffering that a human being could have that the Promised Woman did not endure.
Her feelings must have been mixed throughout these years. She longed to see mankind redeemed but she dreaded to see all the prophecies fulfilled.
She lived in both dread and expectation of the future. Had not the power of God sustained her, surely her life would have ended, as her spirit died many deaths in anticipation.
Eve had brought upon us the consequences of sin, and Mary would learn from the new Adam how to transform misery into glory.
He must ha
ve
explained the Scriptures so she
would understand the value of suffering, for many swords would pierce
her heart.And perhaps the greatest suffering during this time was the realization that as each day passed, the time of the public ministry and separation drew closer.
There is hardly any suffering that a human being could have that the Promised Woman did not endure.
Her feelings must have been mixed throughout these years. She longed to see mankind redeemed but she dreaded to see all the prophecies fulfilled.
She lived in both dread and expectation of the future. Had not the power of God sustained her, surely her life would have ended, as her spirit died many deaths in anticipation.
Eve had brought upon us the consequences of sin, and Mary would learn from the new Adam how to transform misery into glory.
To
carry God's Son the Temple of her
soul had to be pure.
To be His Mother, that Temple had to be holy.
To be the first fruit of His Redemption, she had to know pain.
To be His disciple, she had to understand His message.
To be a Martyr, she had to endure a thousand deaths.
To be great before God, she had to be nothing before men.
To be His Mother, that Temple had to be holy.
To be the first fruit of His Redemption, she had to know pain.
To be His disciple, she had to understand His message.
To be a Martyr, she had to endure a thousand deaths.
To be great before God, she had to be nothing before men.
And
so
To
be the Promised Woman, she had to endure all things and be all things
to all men, so that her Son might one day tell mankind, through John, "Behold thy Mother."
It is no wonder that Jesus took so much time to form His Masterpiece.
39
Mother and Widow
For more information about
purchasing Mother Angelica's books, please contact the Viewer Services
Department at EWTN: 205-271-2989
In 1973,
Mother M. Angelica began writing
booklets on the spiritual life.
She has authored a total of fifty-three books.
In 1973,
Mother M. Angelica began writing
booklets on the spiritual life.
She has authored a total of fifty-three books.