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Reprinted fromhttp:\/\/www.mariedenazareth.com\/1.0.html?&L=1<\/u><\/a><\/p>\nMary\u2019s Role in Jesus\u2019 Public Ministry<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
After recalling Mary\u2019s intervention at the wedding feast of Cana, the Second Vatican Council emphasizes her participation in the public life of Jesus: \u201cIn the course of her Son\u2019s preaching she received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God (cf. Mk 3:35 par.; Lk 11: 27-28) as she was faithfully doing (cf. Lk 2:19, 51)\u201d (Lumen gentium, n. 58).<\/p>\n
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The beginning of Jesus\u2019 mission also meant separation from His Mother, who did not always follow Her son in His travels on the roads of Palestine. Jesus deliberately chose separation from His Mother and from family affection, as can be inferred from the conditions He gave His disciples for following Him and for dedicating themselves to proclaiming God\u2019s kingdom.<\/p>\n
Mary faithfully put Jesus\u2019 words into practice<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, Mary sometimes heard her Son\u2019s preaching. We can assume that she was present in the synagogue of Nazareth when Jesus, after reading Isaiah\u2019s prophecy, commented on the text and applied it to Himself (cf. Lk 4:18-30). How much she must have suffered on that occasion, after sharing the general amazement at \u201cthe gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth\u201d (Lk 4:22), as she observed the harsh hostility of her fellow citizens who drove Jesus from the synagogue and even tried to kill Him! The drama of that moment is evident in the words of the Evangelist Luke: \u201cThey rose up and put Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them He went away\u201d (4:29-30).<\/p>\n
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Realizing after this event that there would be other trials, Mary confirmed and deepened her total obedience to the Father\u2019s will, offering Him her suffering\u00a0and her loneliness as a mother.<\/p>\n
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According to the Gospels, Mary had the opportunity to hear her Son on other occasions as well. First at Capernaum, where Jesus went after the wedding feast of Cana, \u201cwith His mother and His brethren and His disciples\u201d (Jn 2:12). For the Passover, moreover, she was probably able to follow Him to the temple in Jerusalem, which Jesus called His Father\u2019s house and for which He was consumed with zeal (cf. Jn 2:16-17). Finding herself later among the crowd and not being able to approach Jesus, she hears Him replying to those who had told Him that she and their relatives had arrived: \u201cMy mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it\u201d (Lk 8:21).<\/p>\n
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With these words, Christ, although relativizing family ties, is addressing great praise to His Mother by affirming a far loftier bond with her. Indeed, in listening to her Son, Mary accepts all His words and faithfully puts them into practice.<\/p>\n
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We can imagine that, although she did not follow Jesus on His missionary journey, she was informed of her Son\u2019s apostolic activities, lovingly and anxiously receiving news of His preaching from the lips of those who had met him.<\/p>\n
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Separation did not mean distance of heart, nor did it prevent the mother from spiritually following her Son, from keeping and meditating on His teaching as she had done during Jesus\u2019 hidden life in Nazareth. Her faith in fact enabled her to grasp the meaning of Jesus\u2019 words before and better than His disciples, who often did not understand His teaching, especially the references to His future Passion (cf. Mt 16:21-23; Mk 9:32; Lk 9:45).<\/p>\n
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Following the events in her Son\u2019s life, Mary shared in His drama of experiencing rejection from some of the chosen people. This rejection first appeared during His visit to Nazareth and became more and more obvious in the words and attitudes of the leaders of the people.<\/p>\n
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In this way the Blessed Virgin would often have come to know the criticism, insults and threats directed at Jesus. In Nazareth too she would have frequently been troubled by the disbelief of relatives and acquaintances who would try to use Jesus (cf. Jn 7:2-5) or to stop His mission (Mk 3:21).<\/p>\n
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Through this suffering borne with great dignity and hiddenness, Mary shares the journey of her Son \u201cto Jerusalem\u201d (Lk 9:51) and, more and more closely united with Him in faith, hope and love, she co-operates in salvation.<\/p>\n
Mary is a model for those who accept Christ\u2019s words<\/p>\n
The Blessed Virgin thus becomes a model for those who accept Christ\u2019s words. Believing in the divine message since the Annunciation and fully supporting the Person of the Son, she teaches us to listen to the Savior with trust, to discover in Him the divine Word who transforms and renews our life. Her experience also encourages us to accept the trials and suffering that come from fidelity to Christ, keeping our gaze fixed on the happiness Jesus promised those who listen to Him and keep His word.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reprinted fromhttp:\/\/www.mariedenazareth.com\/1.0.html?&L=1 Mary\u2019s Role in Jesus\u2019 Public Ministry After recalling Mary\u2019s intervention at the wedding feast of Cana, the Second Vatican Council emphasizes her participation in the public life of Jesus: \u201cIn the course of her Son\u2019s preaching she received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2537,"featured_media":914,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-medjugorje"],"yoast_head":"\n