Yesterday, during our retreat, we mentioned that hope must be founded on God’s promises. But does this mean that with this foundation, we are free from all challenges and temptations?
Let us once again reflect on the experience of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When Jesus was born, there was no room at the inn, and so St. Joseph had to accompany Mary to give birth to Jesus in a manger. Would Mary recall at that moment how the angel Gabriel had announced that God would give this child the throne of His ancestor, David? Would she question if it was a true promise? Would she even doubt whether this child was truly the Son of God?
And when Mary stood at the foot of the cross, would she have recalled God’s promise, that the Jesus whom she gave birth to would be great, be called the Son of the Most High, and that he would reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom would have no end? Yet, before her eyes was her beloved Son, dying the most humiliating death. The revered rabbi was scorned by all; the throne that was promised to Him had turned into a cross on which He was executed; the eternal reign and the Saviour praised by all people turned into a death row criminal who was more disgraceful than a robber… And what about Mother Mary herself? As the Mother of God, she suddenly became the mother of a condemned man sentenced to death!
Would Mary have asked herself, “When I presented Jesus in the temple, didn’t Simeon proclaim that in Him, he had seen God’s salvation for all people? Was this prophecy true?”
This was the temptation that Our Lady faced. The devil wanted to challenge her faith, destroy her hope, and make her fall into despair, abandoning her trust in God. He wanted her to be so crushed by suffering that she would lose all her life’s merits. But the devil’s schemes failed!
In the end, Mary chose to trust in the faithful God. She held on to hope, convinced that God would fulfill His promise, and she firmly believed in her Son’s words, that He would rise again on the third day!
The foundation of her hope remained unshaken, and instead of being defeated, she defeated the devil by overcoming its temptations.
This is why Pope Francis, praised Mary’s hope in his message for the 38th World Youth Day:
“That was the hope of the Virgin Mary, who remained steadfast beneath the cross of Jesus, certain that the “good outcome” was near. Mary is the woman of hope, the Mother of hope. On Calvary, “hoping against hope” (cf. Rom 4:18), she never wavered in her certainty of the resurrection that her Son had proclaimed. Our Lady filled the silence of Holy Saturday with loving and hope-filled expectation, and inspired in the disciples the certainty that Jesus would conquer death and that evil would not be the last word. 〔……〕 Let us entrust our lives entirely to Mary, Mother of Hope. She teaches us how to carry Jesus, our joy and hope, within our hearts and to share him with others.”
Jesus, who is faithful to His promises, did not disappoint Mother Mary. He conquered death and rose on the third day. Likewise, Mary did not disappoint God. Her faith and hope endured, even though, as Simeon had prophesied, a sword pierced her soul. She bore the pain and remained with Jesus until His last breath. In this silent exchange between God and Mary, love and hope prevailed.
Reflection
If you were in Mother Mary’s place, how would you feel when Jesus, your beloved Son, was dying on the cross?
Do you think it was unfair for God to let Mother Mary endure such trials? Was the burden He has given to Our Lady too heavy?
In your own life, do you ever feel that choosing God’s path comes with overwhelming challenges and pressure? Take a moment of silence and learn from Mother Mary.
Today’s Prayer
Heavenly Father, as I meditate on the challenges Mother Mary faced, I come to understand more deeply the “untold” loneliness and suffering she endured as the Mother of the Son of God. Her pain at the foot of the cross, witnessing her Son’s humiliation and agony, must have been more excruciating than a sword piercing her heart. And I realized, this suffering was caused by my sins…
Thank You for redeeming me from my sins. Please save me from despair so that my hope will not be destroyed by the enemy.
Help me learn from Mother Mary, to always have unwavering faith in You, and to anchor my hope in Your promises. I promise you that I will be a witness of hope and ignite the hope you have given me in my brothers and sisters around me.
Mother of Hope, pray for us!
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Writer: Paul Yeung
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