The Life of Mary as Seen by the Mystics

by Raphael Brown

  The next day when Jesus told His Mother that He intended to go back to Judea, she wept. But He consoled her and assured her that He would accomplish His mission, for the sorrowful days had not yet come. Then He urged her to persevere in prayer for His work. Before leaving He predicted to her and to His disciples that Mary Magdalen would soon be converted and would become a model of virtue. Meanwhile, He said, they should all pray for her and take a loving attitude toward her.

  During the three years of the Lord’s public ministry, the Blessed Virgin accompanied Him on many of His trips through the towns and villages of the Holy Land. And like Him, she always traveled on foot, enduring all the fatigue and hardships involved in such journeys. Sometimes she became so exhausted that Jesus had to restore her strength miraculously. At other times He obliged her to rest for several days in one of the inns which the holy women established for the Master and His Apostles at strategic locations in Galilee and Judea.

  Mary always listened to her Son’s sermons with profound reverence, and by her rapt attention to His words she inspired others to appreciate His teaching. When He spoke, she also prayed fervently that God’s grace might enter into the minds and hearts of His listeners, for she felt an intense sorrow that the Redeemer of mankind should not be known and loved by all men.

  The Blessed Virgin treated her Son’s followers, and especially His Apostles, with remarkable prudence, charity, and wisdom. As a Mother she took care of them and looked after their needs and comfort. But above all she helped them by her prayers, her example, and her advice. Often in the beginning when she knew by mystic intuition that they were experiencing some doubt or temptation, she immediately went to them and helped them. The Lord also infused into the souls of His disciples a supernatural reverence and love for His Mother, which grew as they came to know her better. Whenever they talked with her, they found that they left her presence filled with new joy and consolation.

  Mary had a special affection for Peter, because she knew that he was destined to be her Lord’s vicar, and for John, because he was to be given to her as a son and protector on Calvary. John soon became the most beloved disciple of both Jesus and Mary on account of his truly extraordinary chastity, simplicity, gentleness, and humility. The Blessed Virgin always considered him the most faithful of her Son’s followers. He too experienced an ever-increasing love and devotion for his Master’s holy Mother, and consequently he soon excelled all the others in his eagerness to honor and serve her in every possible way.

  John sought to be in her company as much as he could and to do her housework for her. He faithfully reported to her all the miracles and conversions which Jesus accomplished when she was absent. He always referred to her as “The Mother of Our Lord Jesus,” and after Christ’s Ascension he was the first to call her “The Mother of God.” His devotion to Mary was so evident that the other Apostles often asked John to intercede with her for them. It was because of his profound love for Mary that John earned the distinction of becoming the Beloved Disciple of Jesus, and it was through her that he received the marvelous insight into the Mysteries of Christianity which he manifested in his inspired writings.

  The Blessed Virgin also interested herself in a special way in the women whom Jesus converted and who accompanied Him and His Apostles on some of their trips. She used to gather these good women around her and instruct them privately in Christ’s teachings. And most of all by her own example she taught them to practice the new religion of charity by visiting and helping the sick, the poor, the imprisoned, and the afflicted. Often while nursing sick women and children with her own hands, Mary prayed to Jesus to cure them and He gave her the power to do so. Thus she secretly healed many persons, restoring sight to the blind and even bringing the dead back to life, yet in such a hidden way that all the glory was attributed to her Son, in whose name she performed these miracles.

  Once, when Jesus was preaching in Samaria, the parents of a crippled nine-year-old boy begged Mary to intercede for him with her Son, and she did so, as was her custom in such cases. Jesus told the parents to bring the boy to Him, and taking him by the hand, the Saviour raised him from his stretcher. Then the boy joyfully ran to his astounded and grateful parents—he was completely healed.

  By her prayers and by her apostolate, Mary obtained a remarkable number of conversions, for the salvation of souls was the primary aim of all her efforts. She achieved such success by proceeding with great patience, gentleness, and charity, overlooking the imperfections of the newly converted, and enlightening them gradually with touching humility and kindness.

  While maintaining all due moderation and reserve, both Jesus and Mary conversed and ate and traveled with the disciples with such human naturalness that no one doubted that the Master was a true man. Yet everyone, even His enemies, honored Mary in a special way as the Mother of the Messiah. However, the Blessed Virgin did not have very much to do with anyone except the sick and the ignorant. She never sought after anyone, but most of the time she remained alone, quietly recollected and absorbed in prayer.

  One afternoon in Capernaum, when Jesus had been preaching for several hours in the open courtyard of Peter’s house, Mary and the other women prepared a meal for Him and for His disciples. But as Jesus continued to teach, the Blessed Virgin and some of her relatives went to the edge of the crowd, intending to urge Him to come and take some food. However, since she was unable to make her way through the crowd, Mary requested that her message be passed along to Him from person to person. Soon a Pharisee standing near Jesus called to Him:

  “Your Mother and Your brethren are outside, asking for you.”

  The humble Mother of God immediately prayed that Jesus should turn the attention of the crowd away from her.

  The Master looked at the Pharisee and said:

  “Who is My Mother and who are My brethren?”

  Then, grouping the Apostles together and assembling the disciples around them, Jesus held His hand over the Apostles and declared:

  “Behold My Mother!”

  And stretching His hand over the disciples, He continued:

  “Behold My brethren! For all those who do the will of My Father in heaven are My brother and sister and mother.”

  Then He went on preaching without taking any food, but He sent His disciples to get the nourishment which they needed.

  On another occasion a woman named Leah, whose sister-in-law the Saviour had cured of a hemorrhage, upon seeing Mary approach and hearing Jesus say “Blessed are the pure of heart . . .” exclaimed with spontaneous enthusiasm:

  “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breasts that nursed Thee!”

  But Mary heard her and prayed to Jesus to divert this praise from her. Granting her silent request, the Master said quietly:

  “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it!”

  As Jesus continued His instruction, Leah went to Mary, greeted her respectfully, told her of the miraculous cure, and declared that she had resolved to dedicate her wealth to the apostolate of the Messiah. The Blessed Virgin conversed with her in a low tone, and soon withdrew.

  Once during the course of a particularly profound and important talk which Jesus gave to His closest Apostles and disciples, He referred to His Mother with striking reverence, calling her the purest and holiest of God’s creatures, a vessel of election, for whose coming devout men and the prophets had prayed for thousands of years.

  During His first conversation with Mary Magdalen, soon after her conversion, the Saviour spoke to her about His Mother and explained how Mary had always been pure and immaculate. Then He praised the Blessed Virgin to Magdalen in terms which He had never used before to anyone, and finally He urged her to go to Mary, unite herself closely to her, and obtain from her the guidance and consolation which she needed. The merciful Mother of God welcomed Magdalen with tender affection and kindness, for she knew how powerful the repentant girl’s love for God would be, that it would earn for her a place of honor at the foot of the cross
, and that she would become a world-famous example of God’s forgiving mercy toward great sinners. All the rest of her life, therefore, Mary encouraged and guided Magdalen in her penance, and the two became very close friends in their mutual love and service of the Lord.

  During the imprisonment of John the Baptist, the Blessed Virgin frequently sent her angels to comfort him and to bring him food. And when the day of his martyrdom came, she knelt before Jesus and with tears in her eyes begged Him to help His Forerunner at the hour of his death. The Saviour promised to do so, and immediately took Mary with Him to John’s prison cell by a miraculous and invisible flight. They found the Baptist chained and lying on the ground, severely wounded from three cruel beatings. When John perceived first the heavenly light and then the presence of Jesus and Mary, he was so overcome with emotion that he could not utter a word for several minutes. Then he joyfully knelt before them and asked for their blessing. After giving it to him and healing his wounds, the Saviour and His Mother remained with him for some time. Among other things, Jesus said to him:

  “John, My servant, how eager you are to be persecuted and to offer your life for the glory of My Father, even before I Myself begin to undergo My sufferings! You are soon to enjoy the happiness of dying for My Name. I offer your life to the eternal Father in order that Mine may still be prolonged.”

  John replied with humble fervor and love:

  “My Lord, I am altogether unworthy of this new blessing. I offer my life for Thee, my Beloved, in the joy of my heart. And, O Mother of my Saviour, turn thy loving eyes in mercy upon thy servant.”

  At that moment several soldiers and executioners entered the cell. St. John the Baptist faced them and said:

  “I am ready.”

  And while he knelt in prayer, they quickly cut off his head, in the invisible presence of his Lord and the Mother of God, who offered this holy victim to the eternal Father.

  During the last year of His public ministry, the Saviour decided to prepare His three closest followers, Peter, James, and John, for the shock of His Passion by revealing to them beforehand the divine glory of their Master whom they were soon to see scourged and crucified. Almighty God decreed that Mary also deserved to share this privilege, because she was destined to share her Son’s Passion in a spiritual way and then to become the Guide of the Infant Church. Therefore, while some of the angels brought the souls of Moses and Elias to the Mount of the Transfiguration, others were commissioned to carry the Blessed Virgin there.

  Unlike the Apostles, Mary witnessed the dazzling glory of Christ’s Transfiguration without the least fear or disturbance. On the contrary she was profoundly strengthened and enlightened while contemplating the glorious divinity of her Son. As long as she lived, she never lost the inspiring impression caused in her soul by that vision of His glory, and this memory greatly consoled her whenever she was separated from Him, especially during the years after His Ascension. On the other hand, it also made her feel all the more intensely the terrible sufferings that He experienced in His Passion, which was slowly approaching.

  XXVII

  Judas

  t was the Saviour’s custom to introduce His newly converted disciples to His Mother, for there was a tacit understanding between Jesus and Mary that she would take His followers into her heart and into her prayers as her own children and as the brothers of Christ, thus becoming their spiritual Mother just as she was His natural Mother. Because this mystical adoption was holy and supernatural, Jesus always performed the introduction with great solemnity, and the Blessed Virgin accepted His Apostles with touching seriousness and affection.

  Among the new disciples whom the Master introduced to His Mother during the second year of His public ministry was a good-looking young man with black hair and a reddish beard, whose name was Judas Iscariot. This charming and clever twenty-five-year-old businessman was the illegitimate son of a dancer and an army officer. He was always very well dressed and eager to oblige. However, he talked too much and liked to make himself appear important. He was intensely ambitious for fame, wealth, and honors. Seeing that the people were beginning to accept Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah and future Ruler of Israel, and noticing that the wealthy Lazarus was providing for the expenses of the growing new movement, Judas became interested in the teaching of the Master, and one day he asked to be admitted as one of the followers of Jesus.

  Looking at Judas kindly, yet with indescribable sorrow, the Saviour replied prophetically:

  “You may have a place among My disciples—unless you prefer to leave it to another. . . .”

  Judas proved to be extremely active and zealous, and thus he soon earned a place among the twelve Apostles. Both Jesus and Mary, although they knew that he would later betray his Master, nevertheless loved him and treated him with the same affection as the other Apostles. In fact the Blessed Virgin even spoke to him and listened to him more kindly than to all the rest.

  But unfortunately Judas began to criticize the human faults of his associates, while complimenting himself on his own perfection. He was especially jealous of the popularity of John.

  When Mary perceived that Judas was thus opening his heart to sinful feelings which were destroying his charity toward God and men, she spoke to him privately about it in a very tactful and gentle way. But he hypocritically denied that he had such thoughts and went so far as to reproach her for correcting him, because he had already lost his first reverence for his Master’s holy Mother. As a result of this grave sin of ingratitude which seriously offended God, Judas fell from the state of grace. Then he began to yield to a growing dislike for both Mary and Jesus and for the hardships of his work as an Apostle.

  The merciful Mother of God spoke to him again, urging him to restrain himself and humbly ask the Lord to forgive him. She also offered to intercede for him and to do penance for him, if only he would repent and amend his life. But in his pride Judas lied to her, denying his guilt. Nevertheless the Saviour and His Mother continued to treat him with the same friendly love as before.

  When Jesus announced that one of the Apostles would have to take charge of the alms which were being donated for their support and for the poor, Judas immediately decided to obtain this appointment, and he asked John to intercede with Mary for him. But when John did so, the Blessed Virgin did not mention it to her Son, as she knew that Judas was moved only by greed and ambition. Then the unhappy Apostle went to her directly, and she said to him:

  “Consider well what you are asking, Judas, and examine your intentions. The Master loves you more than you love yourself. Seek to grow rich in humility and poverty. Rise from your fall, and I will give you a helping hand, and my Son will show you His loving mercy.”

  But Judas turned away, feeling enraged and insulted, and resolved to ask Jesus to make him the group’s treasurer. When he did so, the Saviour said to him:

  “Judas, do not be so cruel to yourself as to seek the poison which may cause your death!”

  However, as the ambitious Apostle insisted, the Lord let him have what he wanted. But contrary to his expectations, Judas did not receive considerable amounts of money, because the Master and His disciples accepted only very small sums. When Judas saw the Saviour refuse several large donations, and when he noticed that the Blessed Virgin continually gave generous gifts to the poor, he became so angry and resentful that he began to be tempted with the idea of abandoning Jesus and even of betraying Him to His powerful enemies, who seemed increasingly determined to destroy the new movement by doing away with its Leader.

  Judas Goes to Find the Jews

  XXVIII

  Prelude to the Passion

  eanwhile the day arrived when our Lord had to leave Galilee for the last time. As He told His Mother that He must now go to Jerusalem and suffer His Passion there, she was deeply troubled and wept quietly. The Saviour supported her on His breast and consoled her lovingly and gently. He explained to her that He must now fulfill the mission for which His Father had sent Him into the worl
d and for which she had become His Mother, and that she must therefore continue to be strong and brave, in order thus to strengthen and edify His followers. Then Jesus and Mary prayed together to the eternal Father, and the Mother of God thought:

  “Oh, if only I could receive the pains and sorrows that await Him, and suffer death so as to save His life! Accept, Heavenly Father, the sacrifice of my grief and affection, which I offer in union with Him, in order that Thy holy will may be fulfilled. O children of Adam, begin at last to take heed of the harm caused by your sins!”