DISCIPLESHIP OF MARY

Mary is one of the central personalities within the great project of the economy of salvation after Jesus. In her the church sees a great model of discipleship for every member to imitate. She is seen as the first disciple of Jesus as she was with him from the very beginning of her life, and as the perfect disciple. The discipleship of Mary is proved by the response made towards the demands of Jesus.




1) MARY’S RESPONSE TO THE CALL OF GOD

“I am the handmaid of the Lord’ articulates the response of Mary to God’s will. She listened to God’s word through her profound reflection on the events in which she was involved in the mystery of salvation history, in spite of all anxiety and doubts as to why the will of God is manifested to her or why the Lord uses her to fulfill his will.

Mary is truly an ideal disciple. She was called and prepared from all eternity. The words of St. Paul in Rom. 8:30: ‘those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called the also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified’-these words aptly apply to Mary and the unique role to which she was called. Mary’s personal call to discipleship came at a moment when she was faced with the choice of saying yes or no to the work of God, for which He had been preparing which took place at the annunciation. This was God’s immediate and direct call to Mary when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and asked her to become the mother of the messiah.



2) MARY’S RESPONSE IN PRAYER

Effective prayers perfect a holy life; and Mary’s life was an incessant prayer. God’s voice can be heard only when one is in good disposition and is open to the Spirit. The fact that she heard the word of God clearly and responded to it perfectly shows that she was in a good disposition and always opens to the Spirit through prayer. Tradition also pictures Mary at prayer when the angel appeared to her. It was this spirit of prayer that led her to respond to God’s will whole-heartedly.



3) MARY’S RESPONSE IN FAITH

Faith is a firm belief in God and in all the divine truths revealed. It is an implicit trust in his loving providence overshadowing us at all times. Mary’s faith is a great gift from God that is implanted in her as a tiny seed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit’s presence within her. However God did not force his divine gifts upon Mary. He offered her and waited for her response to accept and use them in her life journey, and it is known she had it.



4) MARY’S RESPONSE IN HUMILITY

Mary is a perfect disciple of obedience to the will of the Father, as she was ever available to the Word of God, which she listens to and puts into practice. She is the model of the fundamental attitude of humility of a creature before God. Magnificat truly brings out this attitude of humility.



5) MARY’S RESPONSE IN SUFFERING

If we follow the footsteps of Mary from the moment of her annunciation onward, we discover that her life was filled with difficulties and trials. She lovingly accepted all these as part of her vocation. Mary walked the path of faith. She persevered through all these difficulties and pains. Even though she was fully sinless, Mary had to pay her price to become and remain a faithful disciple.



6) MARY’S RESPONSE IN TOTAL RENUNCIATION

Mary became the mother of Jesus through her consent to the divine word, with her wholehearted renunciation of her will. She embraced the salvific will of God and consecrated herself totally as a handmaid of the Lord to the person and the work of her Son under whom and with whom, by the grace of Almighty; she served in the mystery of the redemption.



7) MARY’S RESPONSE WITH A MISSION

Mary is a unique follower of Christ. Her greatness lies in the direct relationship with her son and his message. From the time of the annunciation onwards she became the first disciple on a mission, when she said ‘yes’ and cooperated with the plan of God, in the mystery of the Incarnation.