Modeling Mary: Our Pilgrimage of Faith

Journeying Like Mary

This account of Mary’s pilgrimage of faith may assist us in our own pilgrimage. Mary’s faith was not directed to an abstract or distant God. The key to Mary’s faith was well expressed by Elizabeth: Mary was blessed because she believed what was spoken to her would be fulfilled.

It was to the word spoken to her that she was attentive. She listened attentively to the word in the Scripture and to the words spoken by her son. She treasured that word and became anew his mother and our mother by pondering it and taking it into her heart. Thus she brought the word to its fulfillment through her love and the deeds of her life.
At every Eucharist, we experience Christ. By modeling Mary, we listen attentively to the Word, strengthening, nourishing, and guiding our lives.

 Thomas A. Thompson, SM, directs the Marian Library and teaches at the International Marian Research Institute (University of Dayton).