There is also hardly any major disagreement over the near indispensable role a mother plays in a family even in our materialistic modern world.
In the spiritual realm too, most religious adherents agree that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
For some, the debate is not whether the Blessed Virgin Mary deserves respect or honour, but how much respect or honour should be accorded to her.
The argument by those against the adoration of Mary is that the focus of religious attention must not shift away from Jesus Christ or God the Father.
To them, Mary was meant to play a given role and “disappear” from the scene.
But Catholics who today celebrate the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, insist that by honouring Mary, Christendom is also glorifying Jesus Christ, her Son, God’s Son and God Himself.
If we consider the very high esteem at which we hold our earthly mothers, the Blessed Virgin Mary deserves no less but even more.
Questioning her rightful place of honour is akin to limiting a mother’s love for her child.
From bearing the child Jesus until delivery, with the proverbial labour pains, nurturing him to adulthood and other maternal care; the sorrows she bore through his Crucifixion to Resurrection, Mary’s role cannot and should not be taken for granted.
As humans, irrespective of our religious persuasion, we cannot honour our earthly mothers enough.
In fact, many children do not and cannot take kindly to any disrespect of their mothers.
If this is true of our earthly mothers, the accounts by the Scriptures of the role played by the Blessed Virgin Mary makes her adoration all the more compelling.
Mother and child often enjoy special bonds, no matter the latter’s age, status or position.
Good mothers take pride in serving as intercessors between their children and those seeking favours from the children.
Similarly, Christians request the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for them, believing that her Son and God the Son, will oblige her, the same way that Mary intervened at the wedding in Cana, Galilee, where Jesus Christ pereformed his first miracle of turning water into wine, even after protesting to her that his “time has not come.”
To all mothers – in Mary, you have a role model to help fix the many dysfunctional families in a materialistic world lacking in virtues and good moral values!
As children of God, let us all honour our parents and enter the New Year with gratitude and thanksgiving to God; and a commitment to do good to others!
A Happy and Prosperous 2022 and beyond to everyone!
