The angel said to Mary, "Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child, and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible." Then Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." And the angel left her.

Mary set out for a town in the hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth… Mary remained with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

When we read the Gospel passages about Our Lady we notice two things in particular: her contemplative nature and her loving activity. We find her listening to God as he speaks to her through the angel who tells her that she is to be the mother of Christ. We find her pondering the shepherd's words and the words of her son in the temple, pondering them in her heart. Her prayerful heart, and the tradition it gave rise to, gave forth the Magnificat. Meditation is deep listening. Listening to the prayer word in silence trains one to listen for God wherever he is in life. It then calls the heart to compassionate response.

We all know that love is the greatest of the commandments and that it is shown in love for our neighbor. However, when it comes to concrete situations this command to love becomes very difficult. If you give locally you become known as a soft touch and then you are inundated with sob stories. You may become a Santa Claus to whom everybody runs for help, or an oak tree under whose great shadow other sprouts cannot grow. You can contribute generously to a Third World country and then one day you read in the newspapers about the percentage that goes into administration, or of rip-offs, or of corruption in the country being helped, or even of the adverse effects your aid may be having on the people that you want to help.

It takes a lot of listening to the situation to give wisely. The contemplative Mary seemed to have that gift. She could distinguish when it was appropriate to give, or to just put in a good word, or to provide psychological support.

At the Annunciation she was informed that Elizabeth was to have a child. As a woman she knew that her cousin would need another woman around the house. She got on her donkey and headed for Ain Karem. Action was needed and she took it.

Again at Cana of Galilee, she was tuned in to the situation. She saw that the wine was running out so she put in a good word with Jesus, "They have no wine." There was no demanding or imploring - just a confident statement of need.

On many other occasions we find her in a supportive role. She was often in the background when Jesus preached. She was at the foot of the Cross when he was crucified. She was with the terrified disciples in the upper room after the death of Jesus.
So too with us in our ministry, sometimes we give financially or by doing things for people. Sometimes a word is just the right thing, words can give life and sometimes, too, they can bring death - even well intentioned words. Most often our greatest effectiveness is in the things that we support and empower others to do.

Like Mary we all need contemplative wisdom to distinguish one kind of helping from the other and to choose the appropriate one. That is why the twice daily meditation is very important for one who wants to love wisely as Mary did.

Taken from Sundays into Silence - A Pathway to Life. Copyright © 1998 by Claretian Publications

If you are interested to buy this book, email us at cci@claret.org

Sundays into Silence
A Pathway to Life
by Gerry Pierse, cssr
380 pp., PhP 299, U$ 19.95

“The best word I can find to describe this book is integration. In these reflections on the gospel readings for year A, B, and C of the liturgical cycle, Fr. Pierse integrates the richness of the word of God with experiences and stories from life in the community. He shows how through silence, the word can bear fruit in service and sacrament.” (R. J. Cardinal Vidal)

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