Here we are again in the season of Lent. For me, this is the
most meaningful season of the Christian calendar. I fully embrace the Christian
rituals that are part of the celebration of the resurrection.
This past Tuesday, we had the traditional fare for our
household for Fat Tuesday by pounding down as many pancakes as we could
comfortably hold. The feasting is typical in preparation for the 40 days of
Lent, a time when we do penance for the forty days that Jesus fasted in the
wilderness. My greatest indulgence is the daily consumption of at least one kolache
(little Czech pastries). My Lenten sacrifice usually means foregoing kolaches
during the Lenten season.
For the first day of Lent, I took part in an Ash Wednesday service that
included participation in preparation for Communion by reciting the litany that
includes a declaration of the mystery of faith, “Christ has died; Christ is
risen; Christ will come again.”
Truthfully, despite the best efforts of my pastor to engage and
teach us with a meaningful sermon, my mind was wandering during the service. I
started thinking about the crucifixion and the memorable movie, The Passion of Christ. A heartbreaking scene
takes place in that movie when Jesus is carrying the cross through the streets.
Jesus’ mother and Mary Magdalen are following on a parallel street trying to
keep him in their line of vision as he plods through the jeering crowds. In one
moment, in the center of an intersection, Jesus falls. As he rests for a moment
in the street to gather his energy to rise again, Mother Mary catches
his eye. The silent sharing of love that passes between the eyes of the mother
and the eyes of her son will rip sobs from your throat. I guarantee. The love
of the mother and the son is palpable.
“When you look into
your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this
earth.” Mitch Albom wrote this line in his best seller, For One More Day, a story of a
mother and a son, which asks you to think about what would you do if you could
spend one more day with a lost loved one? I wonder, do you think Jesus saw that pure mother love in that fleeting moment in his final
hours?
In the Boomer Babes Lifestyle Survey that I authored last
year, 84% of respondents indicated they were mothers. My guess is that they have
had their hearts wrenched sometime in life when they saw their child bullied,
lose their job, experience a failed relationship, or deal with financial, drug
or alcohol issues.
My own son is one I
would not hesitate to label as a rascal when he was little. Without a doubt, he
was a handful and a challenge. As his mother, I have watched his struggles in
life, trying to guide and support without suffocating. Even though he’s close
to being a middle-aged adult, he’s still my baby boy. When he is sick, or
having bad times, or maybe suffering from a broken heart, I can easily be
brought to tears of anguish just for the want of being able to help him. Would
I tell him that? No. I think because he is
older, I don’t want to seem like I am interfering. I try to walk the walk of a
wise woman. What mother can’t relate?
When I watch that scene from the movie, I wonder how I would
feel if that were my son? Mother Mary lived knowing that someday her son would
fulfill the prophecy for which he was destined. She knew of God’s plan for
Jesus and for us. Just because she was part of the holy circle of beings that
surrounded Jesus, she was still a mortal mother.
The mother’s eyes of Mary saw him grow up and away from her.
She watched him become a superhero in their world, and then witnessed him
tumble and fall from grace, a victim of those who felt threatened by him. Just
like any mother, she suffered unbearable anguish for her son. Helplessly, she
couldn’t change the course of his destiny. Through it all, she was a mother in
the simplest, purest form, just like you and me. Through it all, she stood by
his side, watching as the world betrayed and crucified him. In the end, John
19:25 (NIV) says, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother…”
Just as Mary’s heart ached for her son, our hearts ache as
we watch our children struggle. Through our own eyes as mothers, we mourn collectively for the mothers who have lost their children through death or some form of alienation.
Our anguish is just as deep.
In the Boomer Babes Lifestyle Survey, I asked the question, “On a scale of 1-10, how important is faith in your
life?” A full 94% rated their faith at a 5 or above. Out of the 94% who rated
faith as important, 46% percent of those faith responders indicated the
importance of faith in their lives with a score of 9 or 10.
Lent is a time for sacrifice, but also for a time of renewal
and rebirth. Perhaps, as mothers, we can use this beautiful holy Lenten season
to affirm our love to our families. Perhaps, as mothers who quietly suffer and
yearn for peace and a good life for our children, we can remember what
scripture tells us in Isaiah 66:13, when the Lord reminds us, “As a mother
comforts her son, I will comfort you.”
I would like to suggest since we are at the beginning of the
40 days of reflection, that you rent, download, or replay The Passion of Christ. Yes, it is the story of Jesus. However, it is
also the story of his mother and those who loved him intimately. Whether it’s the first time or a repeat viewing
for you, I ask you to put yourself in Mary’s place… through a mother’s eyes.
Blessings.
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What a wonderful blog post for the Lenten season but for any time of year for mother's and also their children. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Quinn-Smith
Publisher http://pplmag.com and host of PositivelyPittsburghLive #Podcast