Mary’s Thoughts:A Homily for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary Do not be afraid, Mary. Did the message of the angel elicit a momentary pause? Do not be afraid. Is it possible for any mother, or mother-to-be, not to be afraid? Most mothers will attest to the fact that fear and worry fall heavy on the heart of a mother—like groceries from a torn bag. Mary, do not be afraid. Will my child be healthy? Will my child be strong? Do not be afraid. What about colic? What about jaundice, ear infections, speech pediments? And what about school? Will my child have friends? What will I say when other children make fun of my child? Mary, your child will be called the Son of God. If Mary did experience a moment of hesitation, perhaps it was at this point in the conversation that she put worry aside and placed her trust in God. For indeed, a new life in her was conceived and the salvation of the world commenced. But did a trace of fear remain? Did it tug at her heart each time the baby’s cry turned shrill or, later, each time he ran from the house—a little boys do—only to return with a scrapped knee or blood matted hair? Fear. How could it not be present in Mary’s life as it is for every mother? Sometimes muffled, like the sound of a hammer in the carpenter shop. Other times sharp and loud, like the cries of the crowds that gathered on the hillsides of Galilee or the shore of the sea to hear the words that He would speak. This son of hers, this child she carried in her womb now, himself, embracing lepers with open sores, lifting children onto his lap, touching the fevered brow of a little girl critically ill. This son of hers going down to the river, going into the desert, going out on the sea to pull in nets of fish with arms bronzed with the sun. Surely she knew, as only a mother can know, that one day blood would flow down those arms of his now so strong, but once so small. And nails would pierce the hands she once washed with a cloth. Because her son’s words were strong, much too strong. And some day soldiers would come. She knew they would come…for him.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word.”