Mary: Mother Transcending All Generations

"The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience. What Eve bound through her unbelief, Mary loosed by her faith." - St. Irenaeus of Lyons 

From the beginning of time God chose Mary as the Mother of Christ, the Mother of every Generation.  At the moment of her Immaculate Conception she is preserved from all stain of sin and her heart is made ready to bear our Salvation. At the moment of the Annunciation, her motherhood begins. At her proclamation of the Magnificat, Mary consents to the covenant, (Ex. 19:5ff, 2 Samuel 2:1-10) and addresses her children in love, "From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done greater things for me, and holy is his Name." (Lk 1:48,49)
     From the first moment we encounter Mary in the Gospel and throughout, she is the Mother of all Generations. The Angel Gabriel reveals to Mary at the Annunciation that her "kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month of her who was called barren." (Lk 1:36) Mary immediately "arose and went with haste to the hill country." (Lk 1:39) The Generation of Elizabeth and that of Mary met when the "child leapt in her womb!" (Lk 1:41) The Generations of social class are untied through Mary at the birth of Christ, spanning across the deserts of Persia, Babylonia, Arabia, and Bethlehem. For in the manger we see together the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and the Shepherds (Lk 2:8ff). The heart of the Sorrowful Mother is pierced for the first time by the prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:22-38); it is here she joins the suffering Generations of the dying, and prays with them "Lord, now let your servant go in peace your word has been fulfilled." (Lk 2:29)
     "Mary's finest motherly care was revealed at the moment when she noticed the wine would not suffice for the duration of the wedding feast. Wine was the heart of the banquet. Lack of wine would have meant humiliation beyond measure for the two young spouses and the ruin of the feast, which would end in great bitterness. The vigilant eyes of the Mother of Jesus did not fail to assess that situation, whereas the spouses, quite unaware of what is about to transpire, together with their guests, continue to enjoy the festive" banquet (Manelli, Stefano. All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed. (New Bedford: Academy of the Immaculate, 2005). 330). At the Wedding Feast of Cana, Mary through her loving intercession (Jn 2:1-11) meets the Generation of the Youth. Mary's faithfulness as a Mother to all Generations continues as we meet her in the Gospel of John at the foot of the Cross. (John 19:25-27) It is at the foot of the Cross that Mary bears the pangs of childbirth for the whole of humanity in and through her spiritual, universal motherhood (Manelli, Stefano. All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed. (New Bedford: Academy of the Immaculate, 2005). 330). The disciples after the Ascension and until the first Pentecost "with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and his brethren" (Acts 1:14). Here in prayer Mary meets the Generations of the Priesthood.
     Mary, Co-Redemptrix and New Eve, in the universality of her love, reaches out to all of her children through every Generation spanning time, continent and age. She has left us affections of her love through our brothers and sisters in Christ from the early Church, the writings of the Fathers, the Holy Saints, to today.

     The images on the walls of the catacombs, the first artwork depicting Mary, illustrate her as a loving mother watching over, caring for, and protecting her children in times of persecution. In the catacombs Mary meets the Generations of the Martyr. Saint Gregory's first written introduction to the divine motherhood of Mary, Theotokos, leading to this dogma, marks Mary as "God-Bearer" to all Generations (Miravalle, Mark. Mariology. (Goleta: Queenship Publishing, 2007), 142). St. Ambrose continually illustrated Mary as the "Highest pattern of perfect Christian life" from age to age, Generation to Generation (Ibid 145). St. Ignatius of Antioch proclaims the kerygma of the Church through Mary as demonstrating the "reality of the Incarnation" (Ibid 127). St. Justin Martyr continually refers to Mary as the virgin "par excellence" (Ibid 128).  Mary is Mother to all Generations, to all the living. "The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience. What Eve bound through her unbelief, Mary loosed by her faith." (CCC 495) St. Bernard of Clairvaux proclaimed to Mary, "All Generations will call you blessed because you have generated life and glory for all generations." (St. Bernard of Clairvaux, In festo Pentecostes, 2. Quoted in Sebastian, 370). St. Maximilian Kolbe speaks of the Immaculata as God's instrument for people of every age (Manteau-Bonamy. Immaculate Conception and the Holy Spirit: The Marian teachings of St. Maximilian Kolbe. (Libertyville: Marytown Press, 2001) 179). It is the kerygma of the Church, passed on to us from the Fathers, the inspiration of the saints, and the intercession of Our Lady that holds all Generations together.

"Elizabeth's words 'Blessed is she who believed' continue to accompany the Virgin also at Pentecost; they accompany her from age to age, wherever knowledge of Christ's salvific mystery spreads, through the Church's apostolic witness and service. Thus is fulfilled the prophecy of the Magnificat: "All generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name" (Lk 1:48-49). For knowledge of the mystery of Christ leads us to bless his Mother, in the form of special veneration for the Theotokos. But this veneration always includes a blessing of her faith, for the Virgin of Nazareth became blessed above all through this faith, in accordance with Elizabeth's words. Those who from generation to generation among the different peoples and nations of the earth accept with faith the mystery of Christ, the Incarnate Word and Redeemer of the world, not only turn with veneration to Mary and confidently have recourse to her as his Mother, but also seek in her faith support for their own. And it is precisely this living sharing in Mary's faith that determines her special place in the Church's pilgrimage as the new People of God throughout the earth" (Pope John Paul II. Rosarium Virginis Mariae. 27).

Let us look to Mary, the Mother of Christ, our Mother, and unite our hearts to every Generation throughout all of salvation history and proclaim with her, "the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name" (Lk 1:48-49).

Written by Nicolette, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm