The sweetest mom: Mother Mary

By Julia Fernandes

October 5, 2011

When Jesus stood with rejection

Mary stood by the cross

How can a Mother desert her Son?

She’ll also stand by us

My second name is Mary. When I was a little child I used to always tell my mom why you kept such an ordinary name as my second name as Mary is a very common name. Like my siblings who have unique names of Saints as their second name, I always thought to myself why was Mary given as my second name.

Years later as I grew up and my faith evolved I came close to God, Jesus and Mother Mary. I realized how unique Mother Mary is and how distinctive her name is. I felt blessed to have her name as my second name. Incidentally, my father’s name is Joseph. So, when I have to write my full name it goes as: Julia Mary Joseph Fernandes. The names of the parents of Jesus come together in the most beautiful way.

Just as God is a darling, Mother Mary, too, is an absolute darling. It’s as though God took all the love of all the mothers in the world and created Mother Mary. So, the love that she has for her children is the cumulative love of all the mothers put together. That is the intensity and depth of her love for her children.

We are all human beings and mothers, on those rare occasions, can sometimes fail us or hurt us. Fair enough. Whenever that has happened in my life, I took refuge in Mother Mary. And she has never ever failed me. I consider her my second mother. I never call her Mary, I call her mama. So, in a way I receive double dose of a mother’s love. Who does not want to be loved?

When I am sick and in pain, I can feel her healing love towards me. I can sense when she protects me from dangers seen and unseen, known and unknown. When I have difficulties I can feel her care and concern. Mother Mary helps her children. God gives her the grace to help her children.

Whenever I have debates and discussions with my Protestant brethren, I feel shocked by the animosity they nurse towards Mother Mary. I find it amusing when they think that we Catholics put Mother Mary above Jesus. Nothing can be far from this truth. All glory is given to God.

The first argument is that we pray to her. The point that needs to be clarified is that Mary intercedes for us and places our petitions and prayers before her Son, Jesus. She does not grant our prayers, it is God who grants our prayers through her intercession. I was in a debate with a protestant and he kept arguing why should we pray to Mother Mary? I told him when we pray to Mother Mary, she in turn prays for us. I asked him, “Does not your mother pray for you? So, is there anything wrong when the Mother of God prays for her children?

It is so sad when Christians from other denominations think that we give her more importance than Jesus. It is not so. Can any mother in this world ever compete with her son? Then why do Protestants harbour this notion? Mother Mary is family to God and Jesus. They are all together in Heaven wanting to save souls.

God is God. Nobody can be God. God -- the Father’s love is incomparable. Jesus is the son of God. He suffered and died for us, taught us the greatest commandment -- love one another as I have loved you. And Mother Mary’s only preoccupation is to guide, protect, care, love and pray for all the children all over the world. She leads all her children to her Son, Jesus.

Thank you for everything Mama

I luuuuvvvv you Mama…