Questions for Eema

I am participating in the six month #INSPIRE2020 challenge, in which Indian Catholic content creators write about a particular topic every month. This month’s topic is Mama Mary.

As with every blog, I asked Jesus what I should write about. And He said: write about a controversial mother. Huh? I dropped it for a few days and then asked again. He said: Write about an interview with my mother. Ask the controversial questions that you really want to.

This is not the first time Jesus has asked me to do something I’ve never done before. So, here goes….

Me: (clearing throat): Good evening, Mother Mary, uhhh Mama Mary uhhh Mary…what would you prefer to be addressed as? You’ve got so many titles, I’m confused. Is there a special way to address you?

Mary: Where I come from, children call their mothers Eema. You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with: Mama, Amma, Ma or just Mary. After all, no matter what you call me, it doesn’t change who I am.

Me: Ok. I’ll try ‘Eema’.

Eema, you are undoubtedly history’s most famous mother. How do you see yourself? As just a mother? As a famous mother? As God’s mother?

Mary: I am God’s servant, his handmaid. With all my being, everything I do, I do to do His will. Yes, all generations will call me blessed for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

As a mother, you remember how every time you held your baby, you felt so powerfully the presence of the Living God in that gift to you?? Every time I touched my baby, I touched God. I stayed up nights for Him, I wept for Him, I cared for His every need, I nourished Him as I was nourished by Him. When you held your baby, you beheld a gift from God. When I held my baby, I beheld God.

Me: But, Eema. You were told your Son would be the Son of the Most High God by angel Gabriel himself. The others had to hear it from you. You must have really shocked your parents with your pregnancy out of wedlock. Can you tell us a little bit about how unwed mothers were viewed in your culture?

Mary: Sure, it was very different from how things are today. Marriage was honoured by all, children were conceived and born within marriage, to be raised in a family. There were no adoption agencies because birthfathers were not permitted to abdicate their responsibility towards their children. Any evidence of sex outside of marriage was strongly condemned and punished to deter the possibility of anyone diminishing God’s plan for marriage and family. The only children left fatherless were those whose fathers died. And our law strongly encouraged all to care for widows and orphans. Basically, our culture supported children being raised in large families, so an unwed mother was a complete no-no for her sake and her child’s sake.

 

Me: So, when the angel came to you and announced God’s plan: that you, a virgin, were to bear His Son, what was going through your mind?

Mary: You see, as a Jewish girl, I had heard about the Messiah’s coming all my life. Our people were waiting and praying for generations for God’s promised Anointed One to come and deliver us. Of course, I was perplexed and wondered how all this would happen. But once the angel reassured me that the Holy Spirit would overshadow me, I was convinced that all I had to do was obey God and He would handle everything.

When I said, “Here I am” to the angel, I just surrendered myself to God the Holy Spirit who I knew had hovered over the face of the waters at creation, who resided in Joshua, who spoke to Ezekiel. I knew God had already done impossible things: gave the very elderly Abraham and Sarah - Isaac, gave Samuel to Hannah and Elkanah, parted the Red Sea to lead his people out of slavery and so much more. Surely, it was not difficult at all for the God who did all this, to live and grow in my humble womb.

I didn’t know how things would unfold, how my parents would react, whether Joseph would marry me and parent God’s child with me, where we would live and what would follow. But I knew God and that was enough, to say ‘yes’.

 

Me: Well, I’m really glad it all worked out for you….and us…. and you had Jesus. What would you say to those who do not believe that Jesus was conceived ‘without a man’?

Mary: Well, some believe that Jesus was conceived without a man, like Adam was, but deny His divinity. Some believe that Jesus is one of many avatars of God. Some believe that what is not possible scientifically is not possible at all, so they don’t believe my Son was conceived without a man.

To all of them, I would say: I understand that you have all these doubts. Remember, I asked the angel myself: How can this be, since I am a virgin? I understand, because all my life I saw people who interacted with my Son, touched my Son, saw my Son raise a dead man to life and even saw my Son Jesus resurrected from the dead and yet they refused to believe what their ears had heard and their eyes had seen.

I just want to reassure you, with all my heart, that I love you, that my Son Jesus loves you. That I accompanied Him through uncountable suffering for you, that He died on the cross for you and that together, we wait patiently for you, to join us in this place of perfect love.

 

Me: Thank you, Eema. Many people of other faiths stand in long lines to touch statues of you, many Catholics are unsure about whether they are supposed to worship you or not, other Christians react negatively to you because of how these statues of you are treated. What would you say to them?

Mary: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

           I gave my body, my mind, my soul, my entire life so that people would receive Jesus as their Saviour. I want nothing other than that: that you worship the One True God as I do and you receive Jesus, His only begotten Son, wholeheartedly, as I did, to save you. If you are doubtful about anything you do for me or in my name, remember only one thing: Do whatever He (my Son) tells you to do.

 

Me: Last question. What would you say to unwed mothers today?

Mary: I feel your fear, confusion and pain. I know what it’s like to have to explain all this to the people closest to you. If you take anything from my life, take this:

Really, “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

 God is your way out of this fear, God is your truth in the confusion, God has given you life, don’t accept death as a solution to your pain. There are many people who love my Son Jesus, who are willing to help you. Receive His help.

 

Me: Thank you, Eema. Thank you so much for answering God’s call to be the Mother of His Son. Thank you so much for sharing Jesus with us.

 Mary: Anytime. I’m always here for you.

         

If you can’t see the video, click here

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ4NDyDCgs8