{"id":1458,"date":"2017-01-29T05:00:41","date_gmt":"2017-01-29T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sjcmetheology.wpengine.com\/?p=1458"},"modified":"2017-01-29T05:00:41","modified_gmt":"2017-01-29T10:00:41","slug":"mary-the-contemplative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/mary-the-contemplative\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary the Contemplative"},"content":{"rendered":"

In our final installment in this mini-series on contemplation we offer a reflection on Mary, the Mother of Jesus.<\/p>\n

Our Blessed Mother is such a prominent figure in our spirituality and faith.\u00a0 \u00a0She must have been a powerful presence in the course of her earthly life.\u00a0 One might expect that a person like that would have been a powerful speaker and, while she may have been, her voice is curiously silent in Sacred Scripture.\u00a0 Surveying the New Testament, we find her speaking only seven times, and some of those are Gospels quoting the same words.\u00a0\u00a0 Others are Mary quoting the Old Testament (for example the Magnificat is Hannah\u2019s Song of Praise).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I am reminded of the old expression that \u201cActions speak louder than words\u201d.\u00a0 One can be heard without words.<\/p>\n

The last time we hear her voice in Scripture is at the Wedding Feast of Cana when she turns to the wine steward and says, \u201cDo whatever He tells you\u201d.\u00a0 She always directs us to her son.\u00a0 She always tells us to follow him.\u00a0 For us Catholics, it is our joy to be directed by her to Jesus\u2026Ad Jesu per Mariam (to Jesus though Mary).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The use of models and types in contemporary Marian theology has become a standard for analysis, expression, and explanation of theological principles and spirituality.\u00a0\u00a0 Mary as the Model of the Church and Mary as the Model of the Perfect Disciple are prime examples.\u00a0 Mary as the Model Contemplative is the image that prompts us to imitate her in our desire for a genuine encounter with God.\u00a0 Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke, are frequently presented as the emblematic expression of contemplation and action.\u00a0 In Mary, the Mother of Jesus, we see the perfect integration.<\/p>\n

The Scripture tells us that \u201dshe treasured all these things in her heart\u201d (Lk 2:19).\u00a0 Some translations say \u201cshe pondered these things\u201d.\u00a0 This treasuring, this pondering is the functioning of contemplative prayer.\u00a0 Sitting with, being quiet with, being open and receptive to God are the very attributes she models for us.\u00a0 Spiritual writers have suggested that this openness and receptivity are the disposition of prayer that marked her conception of Jesus.\u00a0 It is said that she conceived of Him in her heart before she conceived of Him in her body. \u00a0As the Model of the Perfect Contemplative she invites us to be mothers of God.\u00a0 As Meister Eckhart, the German Medieval Mystic has reminded us: \u201cWe are all meant to be Mothers of God, for isn\u2019t God always needing to be born?\u201d<\/p>\n

Some are immediately intimidated by the very mention of contemplative prayer.\u00a0 They think that it\u2019s only for very advanced souls, for Religious Sisters or Nuns or Monks, and not for the ordinary person in the world.\u00a0 Some of the most learned and yes, holy, people have written reams of words trying to encourage us that prayer, deep prayer, meditation and contemplation are available to everyone.\u00a0 This intimate closeness with God is not a prize to be won or earned.\u00a0 Rather, it is, we believe, the fondest desire of our loving God, if only we would allow that desire into our hearts and be open.\u00a0 The very desire to encounter God is itself His gift first to us.\u00a0 If only we would allow ourselves to be enveloped by that desire, God would do the rest.<\/p>\n

Mary, the Theotokos, Mary, the Mother of God was also Mary of Nazareth who lived in the most humble of circumstances.\u00a0 She cooked, mended, drew water and went about the everyday concerns and activities of the most common life.\u00a0 She found God in and through those activities and not in spite of them.\u00a0 She found no divide between prayer and activity but rather found a union in the harmony and integration of her life and prayer.\u00a0 Would it not be this perfect openness to God\u2019s Presence in all things and circumstances that prepared her to conceive of Him through the power of the Holy Spirit?\u00a0 Her contemplation and union with God led her to resolute action.\u00a0 We continue to look to her as our exemplar and model\u2026Ad Jesu per Mariam.<\/p>\n

We conclude our mini-series on Contemplation where we began.\u00a0 In our first blog we noted Laurence Freeman and his reminder of the necessary elements of contemplative prayer.<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Interiority: going into \u201cour inner room\u201d (Mt 6:6)<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Silence: prayer is about brevity, simplicity, and trust<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Calmness: freedom from anxiety and obsession with material things<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mindfulness: focusing on God\u2019s Kingdom before all else<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Presentness: living in present moment, free from fear of the future<\/p>\n

Susan O’Hara<\/strong> teaches theology for Saint Joseph’s College Online Theology Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In our final installment in this mini-series on contemplation we offer a reflection on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Our Blessed Mother is such a prominent figure in our spirituality and faith.\u00a0 \u00a0She must have been a powerful presence in … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1],"tags":[43,78],"class_list":["post-1458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spirituality","category-uncategorized","tag-blessed-mother","tag-contemplation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1458\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sjcme.edu\/theology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}