It is no secret that Mary loved her baby Jesus more than anyone, and we see many instances where Mary shows her skill as a mother and mentor to Jesus Christ. But what exactly is Mary’s role in the Church as a whole?
Mary is a mentor, mother, and role model for women everywhere. Saint Mary is someone that all Christians should look up, for she is the definition of trusting in God and caring for others.
Mother Mary’s Role as Jesus’ mentor
You do not have to be a mother to understand just how much influence a mom has on her child’s life, even after they are all grown up.
Mary influenced Jesus’ life in many ways as a mom, with one of the most prominent being teaching Him how to pray.
Teaching the Son of God how to pray sounds a bit ironic, doesn’t it? But, the fact is, Jesus grew up Jewish, just like His parents. His mom, who we can tell by the Magnificat is an avid pray-er, must have taught Him how to pray, just as all good Christian parents must.
The image that comes to mind of Jesus and Mary on their knees next to each other, Mary reciting the same prayers she does every day, and Jesus keenly listening by her side, provides great insight into Mary's role as a mom.
Mary also knew what Jesus would become, and she would have pushed Him to realize His full potential while He was growing up.
When The Holy Family was at the Wedding in Cana, for example, Mary noticed that there was no more wine. In an effort to keep the hosts from embarrassing themselves, she told Jesus that the family had no more wine. Jesus then asked Mary what she wanted Him to do, for His “hour is not yet come” (John 12:4).
Mary was adamant, however, that Jesus help the couple, telling the servants at the party to do exactly what Jesus tells them. Jesus then instructs the servants to get six jugs of water, then He turned all of the water into wine.
If not for Mary pushing Him to realize His potential as the Son of God, Jesus would never have preformed this miracle, illustrating the impact Mary had on his life and his journey as the Son of God.
Mother Mary’s Love for Jesus
Although Mary’s love for Jesus is prevalent every time they are mentioned together, her love is especially noticeable in a few key points throughout the bible.
When an angel appeared to Joseph In a dream to tell him to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod, Mary followed without question. Mary sacrificed months of her life on the back of a donkey, sometimes possibly on foot, just to keep her child safe.
This beautiful statue of Mary, Jesus, and Joseph on their way to Egypt to escape King Herod showcases Mary’s resilience as she does everything she can to ensure Jesus’ safety. Holding Jesus in her arms, she is clearly protecting Him as best as she can.
Traveling with a child today is nothing short of a nightmare, and we have the luxury of planes today. Imagine months of travel on foot with a toddler– Mary must have had a lot of patience to be able to go through this. She willingly and gracefully took on this task just to be sure that her son was safe from anything that could possibly come His way.
This just goes to show Mary’s devotion to God and to her son on a level that many Christian mothers today aspire to duplicate.
Mary also shows her devotion to her son when she makes an effort to never leave His side during trying times, something that mothers today also strive to replicate.
From the second Jesus was born to when He was being persecuted to when He was crucified, Mary never left His side.
Here in the Pieta statue, we see Mary's love for Jesus so clearly portrayed in her eyes. Like a loving mom, she is going to stay by her child no matter what happens.
Not only does the love in her eyes convey such passionate emotions, but the way she is holding Him so gently as His lifeless body is draped across her arms and looking into His eyes shows us just how much love there was between Jesus and His mother.
Mary never left Jesus while He was going through a horrible, trying time in his life, showing real dedication as His mother. To be able to watch your child go through something like that is very difficult, but to know that she had the courage and strength to be with Him as He suffered really speaks to her love for Him and her devotion to God.
Mother Mary's Role as a Woman in the Bible
Mary is the perfect example of what it means to be a God-loving woman. She was an avid pray-er and she always accepted God’s will.
When God told her that she would fall pregnant and she was to name the baby Jesus, she said “I am the Lord's servant,” and she let God’s will be done unto her.
She never questioned God’s plan for her and she trusted that God would take care of everything, the symbol of a truly faithful person.
She also offered an amazing prayer to God, known as the Magnificat, which is one of the most beautiful prayers in the whole world. A Godly woman such as herself knows the true power of prayer, which is why women today should strive to have the relationship with God that she did.
She took care of her husband and son all throughout the Bible, extending her caring nature to them and to anyone else who asked her for help. Today, we pray to Mary to extend that same caring nature unto us so that we many extend it to others.
Mary is a role model for all Christian women out there, and we should all strive to live our lives the way she lived hers: through God.
Mary’s significance
From pushing Christ to realize His full potential and preform His first miracle to being a role model for all faithful women today, Mary plays a key role in our lives as Christians.
Mary taught Jesus to pray and mentored Him in His faith, something all parents and mentors can only strive to do as well as Mary did. Mary prayed avidly both before and after Jesus was born, a mark of a truly faithful woman, a practice of hers which should serve as an inspiration to every Christian.
Also, Mary stayed with Jesus as He was being crucified, showing her dedication to Him and her yearn to take care of Him and be with Him through everything. Mary also spent many days and many nights on her way to Egypt to ensure Jesus’ safety, further illustrating her love for– and dedication to– Him.
She is a true role model for Christian women everywhere, trusting in God’s word and staying with her family through thick and thin and continuing to be a caring charitable person. As Christians, we all have a lot to learn from Mary.
