Mary’s womb and breasts: A meditation

In the beginning was love. We are created out of love. We love God since God has loved us first. All our acts of love and kindness emanate from God’s love. God created everything and found it very good, so all the good come from God. Our response to God’s love makes us good or blessed. It is a fundamental call of Christians that we are called to be ‘blessed’ in life.

Mary was 'full of Grace' in the words of Angel Gabriel. Mary was called ‘blessed’ by Elizabeth. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. This reveals to us that Mary shares a certain divine quality with Jesus himself. Mary also shares the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount by being one with the blessedness of the beatitudes. It is not hard to take it to our hearts that Mary is the blessed one because she is poor in spirit.

In today's gospel Mary was called ‘Blessed’ once again by a woman. Mary’s womb contained the entire person of Jesus: His divinity, his humanness, his joys and sorrows, his suffering, death and resurrection. Mary’s nursing breasts symbolize the closest bond between the mother and the son. Jesus resembled Mary because Mary resembled Jesus and His blessedness.

Jesus’ reaction is one of wonder at the heart of the mother. Jesus witnesses his mother as observer of the word of God. It is through the observance of the word of God, one becomes blessed. Mary is blessed since she adhered to the will of God. What are some of the things that hinder us to hear the word of God and observe it?