I am a Marianist, a member of the Society of Mary, and so I draw grace and encouragement in my life and in my ministry from Mary, the Mother of Jesus. A phrase from the wedding at Cana that I carry in my heart is “and the mother of Jesus was there” (John 2:1). Her presence to me was broadened and deepened when I experienced the faith, inspiration, and nourishment I received from her while serving the people of India and Kenya, both places where I have served, receive from her.
It is notable to me that the Cathedral Basilica in Nairobi, Kenya, is dedicated to the Holy Family. This name affirms the centrality of the family as the home of the heart and selfless care in day-to-day life in Africa. As I participated in a Holy Week Stations of the Cross in a Nairobi slum, I was reminded of the faithful women followers of Jesus in the Gospels. They not only attended to his needs, but also suffered with Jesus during his passion and death. Jesus meeting his sorrowful mother and Mary standing at the foot of the cross has a new depth of feeling and reality for me since I stood with others in the community in the places where mothers’ sons were killed by violence. The same presence in grief was part of the prayer at the burial of children of single mothers.
My experience of Mary was broadened in India, as the cultural and social celebrations there are quite varied, with Marian shrines found throughout the country. They are popular destinations for pilgrimages. Yet, right in Bengaluru (Bangalore) was one of my most eye-opening gifts. St. Mary’s Basilica in Bengaluru, India was consecrated September 8, 1882. Each year, the city celebrates St. Mary’s Feast with day-long festivities that include speeches and a parade with chariots. Christians, Muslims, and Hindus are all participants in honoring Mary on this day—a witness to the inspiration and love Mary calls forth from human hearts. Life in India has many tensions and many groups in active struggle with one another, but Mary’s Feast expresses a unity of experience of the people of God.
The designation of Mary that has spoken to me over the years of my Marianist life is Mary as mother and model. My growth in appreciation of Mary is not limited to my time in mission, but the experience of Mary as mother was deeply enriched by my ministry in Kenya. I saw the care and willingness to endure suffering of mothers who toiled to eke out a living for their families. This added dimensions and depth to my perception of the person of Mary as a compassionate, sorrowful, and faith-filled mother.
My experience of ministry in India affirmed Mary as a model of faithful discipleship in all circumstances. She was a vibrant member of a diverse community, attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, placing her trust in God’s promise of the fullness of life for all God’s people.
The experience of ministry in Kenya and India remains a gift and a challenge for me to live the depth and the breadth of our one life in Christ. Mary is my mother and model in faithfully following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus and proclaiming the goodness, the Good News, of God with my life.
(Republished with permission of the U.S. Catholic Mission Association)