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Growing closer to our spiritual mother.
I remember singing to Mary as a child. I remember loving the songs that exalted a beautiful and courageous young woman, a precious flower in God’s garden, the one who said yes.
Raised to venerate the Immaculate Heart, I wasn’t explicitly taught what any of it meant. Was I supposed to just “get it”?
Only recently have I begun to understand what I had taken for granted, looking for and finding Mary in the pages of Scripture before she was ever even mentioned by name.
Biblical experts call this typology: a person, event, or object in the Old Testament (a type) that points to a person, event, or object in the New Testament. Typology helps us understand how God’s salvation plan unfolds through history.
When you read Scripture through the lens of typology, both the Old and the New Testament come to life, gaining depth, layers of meaning, and great significance.
“Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Imman′u-el.”
Isaiah 7:14
Dear Mary,
“In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the LORD is with you!”
Luke 1:26-28
You are a human woman, in that we have something in common. Yet, you were made special for a holy purpose. To bear God incarnate, to be the new ark of the covenant.
For that purpose, you were made sinless and pure of heart. You showed great love and deep obedience. At the Word of God, you surrendered completely. In that regard, we are so different.
You didn’t know how it was to be accomplished; you felt too lowly for the task, yet you said yes. I, on the other hand, seem to fight God at every turn, questioning and doubting.
Help me to say yes to God’s will. Help me to resist the impulse to question God’s plan for my life, ask for more information, and seek assurances. Pray that I may grow in faith, love, and trust.
Dear Queen,
“So Bathshe′ba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adoni′jah. And the king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a seat brought for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right.”
1 Kings 2:19
You are the queen of heaven and earth. Seated at the right hand of your divine Son, you intercede for humanity and for all your spiritual children.
What other title could be worthy of the Mother of the King? What other title could be worthy of your self-sacrifice? You, who gave Jesus Christ His human flesh and His human heart. You, who during your earthly life loved much and suffered greatly.
The title of Queen is the honor you deserve for everything you gave. An honor given by the authority of your Son and Lord.
Keep advocating for us in the heavenly realm. Praying for us and our salvation. Keep being the warrior queen, fighting with Jesus and the angels against the forces of evil in this world.
Dear Mother,
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”
John 19:26-27
You are the Mother of God and the spiritual mother of humanity. You cared for Jesus, God incarnate, with tender love and devotion. You saw Him grow in strength and wisdom.
As a caring mother, you kept all things in your heart, joys and sorrows alike. You made do with little material blessings, yet gave your Son abundantly in love, faith, trust, and obedience.
Thank you for your generous yes to God’s will and plan of salvation. For your selfless love and sacrifice. Thank you for showing us the fullness of human love and devotion to the Holy Trinity as it’s meant to be.
Growing closer to Mary as our spiritual mother, and relying more on her intercession and prayers, begins with learning more about her, the pivotal role she played and continues to play in salvation history, and the biblical roots of that role.
To grow closer, we should also consider how we see her and the words we use to describe her.
We have a powerful warrior queen on our side. We also have a tender, loving, and compassionate mother. Let’s be grateful for Mary’s precious gift. Let’s be grateful for her Yes.
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