The first believer

"Blessed is the womb that bore you and the womb from which you suckled" Christ answered indicating true beatitude: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it" (Lk 11,27-28)

In this time of celebration and Christmas light, I like to dwell on Mary, the woman among women, the Mother of God who made herself similar to human beings in order to speak our language and communicate to us the greatest gift that God could make us: his Love. There are many aspects that we could look into, but I think the most important, the one that sums them all up is Mary's faith.

"Blessed is she who believed in the fulfillment of the words of the Lord" (Lk 1:45). With this exultant greeting, Elizabeth welcomes Mary who has come from Nazareth to share her joy and, perhaps, also her amazement at what had happened to her. To convey to her elderly relative that faith that prompted her to say yes to her invitation from the divine messenger: she will be a mother without knowing a man, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit.

Mary welcomes Elizabeth's praise, recognizing it as pure grace from the Lord towards her, humble servant: "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humility of his servant" (Lk 1.46-48).

God works in our history and manifests himself with unequivocal signs that we must learn to interpret with the intelligence of faith. Then we will discover that God is not simply there, as in an empty space, but is within us, as Saint Augustine says "God is more intimate to me than I am to myself" (The Confessions, III, 6.11) . That is, God is not only in us, but is in the depths of us to move us with his Spirit and with his inspiration, to push us to go, like Mary, towards others and bring the Word of life, that is, the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the ways of the world in history.

Developing the logic experienced in that encounter and in continuity with the faith expressed by Mary, the first believer in the Gospel, Jesus will place faith as a priority requirement for following her: "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and they put it into practice" (Lk 8:21). And to that woman who, moved by enthusiasm for Jesus, cried out «Blessed is the womb that bore you and the womb from which you suckled» Christ replied indicating true beatitude: «Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and they keep it” (Lk 11:27-28).

To be true followers of the Gospel, we Christians too must be, like Mary, the "blessed womb" that bears the Redeemer. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit who animates the Church is a guarantee of the fruitfulness of the faith. Joy will be the sign and fruit of our attentive listening to the Word, placing ourselves at its service. We ask the divine Child for this gift through the intercession of his mother, a woman of faith.

Anna Maria del Prete

NP Gennaio 2023