Why Mary is Mom
Call Mary Mom? Isn't that too informal? Maybe Mother, but Mom?
Father Edward Leen, a great priest and spiritual writer thought Mom would be better than Mother. (Actually, he uses the term "Mama.") I read his writings from time to time and I've learned to take seriously what he suggests. But "Mama" or "Mom" seemed a little, well, childish to me at first - you know, being a man and all that.
But he's got a good reason for this recommendation. It goes to the idea of our utter dependence on Our Blessed Mother. He compares our relationship to her not only as a child to its mother, but as an infant in the womb to its mother - total, utter dependence for absolutely everything.
It seems like a radical idea at first - or maybe too pious. But think about it.
God made Mary to be the Mother of His Son, Our Lord. And in His great plan, He made her - as the Church calls her - "Mediatrix" of grace. All grace flows through her to us. And grace is the lifeblood our souls. Our interior life, our very salvation, depends on grace.
It's just like with our earthly mothers, when we were in the womb. All our nourishment flowed through her body to ours. If our mother had died before we were born, we'd be dead too.
Once we're born, we eventually can take care of our own bodies. We don't need our mother for that anymore.
But it's different with our souls. We can't just take care of ourselves.
Grace is a gift, freely given to us by God. We can't demand it. We don't even really "earn" it the same way we earn our pay at work. We just have to be open to receive His gift of grace. The best we can do is frequent the sacraments, the main instruments through which God dispenses His grace.
When we pray the "Hail Mary" we recognize Mary's unique place in the mystery of God's grace: "Hail Mary full of grace." We ask Mary, who is full of grace, to "pray for us sinners." Mary dispenses (in some mysterious way) those gifts of grace. We can't advance in holiness, in friendship and intimacy with God without her. We won't advance towards our true home - that place where the Blessed Trinity dwells - without her.
Still, when I think about Father Leen using "Mama" (or you could also say "Mommy" I suppose), it does feel strange. Here I am a grown man. I never called my own mother "Mommy" - not since I was a little kid. But it's important to get Father Leen's point here.
I suppose "Mom" will do. Then again, I'm probably a bit full of myself, a bit puffed up, a bit stuffy in using "Mom" vs. "Mama" or "Mommy." I'm probably reluctant to really face the fact that without Our Lady, my Mom, I couldn't take the first step towards Heaven. It's too, well, too dependent a feeling. And I've spent so many years trying to be independent and strong.
Ah, maybe it's a guy thing. Maybe us men just don't like to be seen as weak and dependent. And certainly in most situations in our lives, in our work, we shouldn't appear as weak, dependent and childlike. But this is different.
When it comes to our souls, our interior lives, it's important to know we're not in charge, we're not the ones calling the shots, we are, in fact, totally dependent.
Then again, why not just remember our Blessed Lord on the cross, when He cried out "Abba" - "Father forgive them... "Abba" doesn't really mean father in Aramaic. Apparently it really means "Daddy." Our Lord called out to His Daddy in His moment of ultimate suffering. There He was, hanging helpless on the Cross, calling out to His "Daddy."
So maybe "Mommy" isn't so strange after all - or at least Mom. Maybe this is something to meditate on during Mary's lovely month of May.
Father Edward Leen, a great priest and spiritual writer thought Mom would be better than Mother. (Actually, he uses the term "Mama.") I read his writings from time to time and I've learned to take seriously what he suggests. But "Mama" or "Mom" seemed a little, well, childish to me at first - you know, being a man and all that.
But he's got a good reason for this recommendation. It goes to the idea of our utter dependence on Our Blessed Mother. He compares our relationship to her not only as a child to its mother, but as an infant in the womb to its mother - total, utter dependence for absolutely everything.
It seems like a radical idea at first - or maybe too pious. But think about it.
God made Mary to be the Mother of His Son, Our Lord. And in His great plan, He made her - as the Church calls her - "Mediatrix" of grace. All grace flows through her to us. And grace is the lifeblood our souls. Our interior life, our very salvation, depends on grace.
It's just like with our earthly mothers, when we were in the womb. All our nourishment flowed through her body to ours. If our mother had died before we were born, we'd be dead too.
Once we're born, we eventually can take care of our own bodies. We don't need our mother for that anymore.
But it's different with our souls. We can't just take care of ourselves.
Grace is a gift, freely given to us by God. We can't demand it. We don't even really "earn" it the same way we earn our pay at work. We just have to be open to receive His gift of grace. The best we can do is frequent the sacraments, the main instruments through which God dispenses His grace.
When we pray the "Hail Mary" we recognize Mary's unique place in the mystery of God's grace: "Hail Mary full of grace." We ask Mary, who is full of grace, to "pray for us sinners." Mary dispenses (in some mysterious way) those gifts of grace. We can't advance in holiness, in friendship and intimacy with God without her. We won't advance towards our true home - that place where the Blessed Trinity dwells - without her.
Still, when I think about Father Leen using "Mama" (or you could also say "Mommy" I suppose), it does feel strange. Here I am a grown man. I never called my own mother "Mommy" - not since I was a little kid. But it's important to get Father Leen's point here.
I suppose "Mom" will do. Then again, I'm probably a bit full of myself, a bit puffed up, a bit stuffy in using "Mom" vs. "Mama" or "Mommy." I'm probably reluctant to really face the fact that without Our Lady, my Mom, I couldn't take the first step towards Heaven. It's too, well, too dependent a feeling. And I've spent so many years trying to be independent and strong.
Ah, maybe it's a guy thing. Maybe us men just don't like to be seen as weak and dependent. And certainly in most situations in our lives, in our work, we shouldn't appear as weak, dependent and childlike. But this is different.
When it comes to our souls, our interior lives, it's important to know we're not in charge, we're not the ones calling the shots, we are, in fact, totally dependent.
Then again, why not just remember our Blessed Lord on the cross, when He cried out "Abba" - "Father forgive them... "Abba" doesn't really mean father in Aramaic. Apparently it really means "Daddy." Our Lord called out to His Daddy in His moment of ultimate suffering. There He was, hanging helpless on the Cross, calling out to His "Daddy."
So maybe "Mommy" isn't so strange after all - or at least Mom. Maybe this is something to meditate on during Mary's lovely month of May.
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