MARY, A NEW ISRAEL

MARY, A NEW ISRAEL

             I am glad to share with you some of the reflections on the theme “Mary a new Israel.” Before I begin, allow me to acknowledge Fulton J. Sheen whose reflection I am going to share from the theological point of view.

            Dear friends, not one of us has the power to make our own mothers as we wish. If we had this power, I am sure that we would make our mothers most beautiful and most perfect. I made this statement, because Jesus preexisted Mary and so He could make mother perfect and pure. Thus, the concept of the Immaculate Conception pre-exist in the mind of God. He thought of her before she was born.

            When the first Paradise was lost by the sin of our first parents God thought that He would remake paradise which was defiled but not destroyed. So, in the Old Testament we see Israel as a loose woman loved by God. Therefore, God told Moses to make the tabernacle so that He could dwell with his people. The cloud overshadowed the temple of the Lord at day and the Pillar of the Lord at night.  

            In the N.T we see Mary as the new Israel from whom the Lord comes forth. The angel Gabriel asked Mary to become the Mother of God. Mary knowing the consequence of the law replied ‘I’m a virgin, I know not a man. The angel replied “the Holy Spirit will over shadow you.” He will be born of you and shall be called the ‘Son of God.’ As a result the word was made flesh as the tabernacle within her. Mary professed her faith singing the magnificent song “my soul proclaims the Lord and my spirit rejoices in the Lord my Saviour”, as gratitude of His love for her. Later she carried Jesus within her (the body, the blood, the soul and the divinity) to her cousin Elizabeth.

            Thus the womb of Mary was the first tabernacle of God’s presence on the face of the earth. The Eucharist within her is made one with the church and all its members and all humanity. Thus the Church includes Mary as a faithful woman along with this new Israel. As a result we do share the resurrection of the Lord as Mary did.

            She was full of grace, because of which she was able to stand even at the foot of the cross. She is honoured by God as she shares the divinity with her son in her holy conception, passion, assumption and coronation. The church honors her by garlanding her with the four dogmatic mysteries of her life.

            Now what we can take home is very simple. I wish that Her prayers and intercessions make us more aware of the blessings that we are given. As a response let us live our life happily bearing witness to Jesus. Thus may we become like Mary a new Israel to the youth, to friends and more especially to ourselves. May our life and action be a hymn of praise to God like the Magnificat of Mary. 

Thank you