What makes Mary a role model of all mothers, and a model for all Christ's followers? The answer to the first question is simple, because she focused her whole life on her son Jesus, and in fact, it is also the reason why she is the model for all Christians because she focused all her energy in following God's Son, Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, Mary is considered Jesus' first and the best disciple.
Mother Mary is simple and she has just one simple goal in life, that is to do God's will, period. And she did so with a humble spirit, never intentionally put herself in the spotlight. And that explains why there are only a few recorded words of hers in the Bible. Yet, of those words that were recorded, two stand out as the main themes of her life, which are conceivably also her mottos in life. For herself: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). And for others: “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) Her life is simple yet laser sharp! And she let nothing derail her from accomplishing what she set out to do in her life, the two missions given to her by God.
How could she remain so focused? Mary has a secret. That secret lies in her insistence of treasuring every Word of God in her heart, reflecting on them continually. “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) And she doesn't allow herself and her own thoughts clutter her mind or distract her from attending to God's will every moment of her life. That was her secret, but also her weapon as she needed to fend off temptations and external distractions that vowed to take her focus away from her mission on earth.
She didn't let go of God's Word and so the “lesser” things couldn't creep into her heart easily without her knowing. She lived in the moment and knew what she's doing, letting nothing trouble her. She is gentle, yet she is strong. And indeed she is a spiritual giant! Nonetheless, she did everything not counting on herself but the power from above.
By talking little, she spent most of her time in deep prayers, even while she was doing things. That helped her remain laser sharp in her sensitivity to the movement of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit. AND THAT IS HER REAL WEAPON! By being receptive to the movements of the Holy Spirit, she knows what to do in order to cooperate with Jesus in accomplishing the Father's will. Powerful! And nothing less than fruitful, a hundredfold, was resulted from her total surrender of her life to God. And in doing so, she brings the greatest glory to God, who in turn shares His glory with her. This is the kind of right relationship with the Holy Trinity we should strive for in our lives!
If our goals in life are to get close to Jesus and to bring others to Him, she is our best role model. And her way of life should also be our way of life. In fact, by asking Christians to recite the Rosary, she is suggesting to us to mimic her life in always reflecting and contemplating the life of Jesus and the Word of God. In doing so, she can lead us closer to her Son Jesus. And she has made this the focus of her life, up till this very day.
