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Pennsylvania native Esther McCabe was the widowed mother of 11 sons who served in the armed forces in WWII. At a war bond promotion in 1943, Esther moved those in attendance by listing off her sons’ names (10 of them at the time) who were in the service, together with their ages and various locations around the globe. We can easily imagine Esther following her sons vicariously around the world, guarding their lives with her love, living through them and protecting them with her constant prayers.

Wouldn’t we all love a mother like that? Whether or not our earthly mother lived up to that ideal, (and gratefully, I’m sure many of us can say ours did), she would be a mere shadow compared to the loving mother we have in heaven: Mary, the mother of Jesus.  This view of Mary is nothing new in the Christian tradition.  More than 300 years ago, St. Louis deMontfort wrote, “Motherly love is… capable of the greatest sacrifices; it is born in suffering, and time serves only to increase its generosity and service. If this is true of the motherly love (many of us have) experienced, what must be said of her” who suffered in watching the crucifixion of her innocent Son, knowing and willing it to be for our salvation? “Her love for mankind is as practical as that of her Divine Son.” She proved this in cooperating graciously in His plan of redemption: “Now there stood by the Cross of Jesus His mother” (John 19:25).

St. Paul writes that Christians are members of Jesus. “…(W)e are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30).  Mary, therefore, being the mother of the whole Christ, can in truth be called our mother. A great French saint (St. Bernard), in the 12th century, penned a famous prayer, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided.” This reminds us how a mother does not refuse the pleas of her children. She cannot fail to give us the strength we need to persevere in the service of her Son. Being the mother of God, she loves Him more than we do. She wants above all things to see us give Him glory by loving Him, following His commandments, and joining Him one day in heaven.

“Do whatever He tells you,” she said to the servants at the wedding feast of Cana (John 2:5). This is a perfect summary of all Mary wishes and all she works for: to see us fulfill the will of her Son. She leads us to Jesus. With all the exhaustless love of a good mother, she will never rest until she sees us rest in Him.

If you would like a little medal in honor of Mary, please feel free to reach out to me by email.

Br. Maximilian Watner is on the the staff at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Buckingham County. He can be reached at webmaster@stas.org.