In Her Footsteps
Lynne Elwinger, O.C.D.
“Draw us after you, Virgin Mary”, we sing on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, “we will follow in your footsteps.” As we once again anticipate our annual celebration on July 16, it is this antiphon that keeps singing itself in my heart. What does it mean for us today to follow in Mary’s footsteps? What is it that draws us to her so that she can draw us after her? How does she show us the way of bringing graces of the Divine Presence into our troubled world in these challenging and yet opportunity-laden times in which we live?
As I reflected on these questions in this new liturgical year, I thought about the many diverse ways we image Mary and pondered which ones were calling to me. What has come to the center stage in my own questing heart, is the image of Mary as encourager and hope-bearer for the world. By her example, and her accessibility to all who look to her for help, she shows us how to help ourselves and all who walk along this road of life today. She helps us to connect with the Divine Presence within and around us, showing us new gateways into the sacred spaces within our own hearts and the Heart of God. You might say that Mary is an excellent spiritual GPS system, helping us to find and to navigate the way home.
As we travel on stormy and sunny days, through detours and around roadblocks, with family, friends, and strangers as traveling companions, in well-known as well as in totally new territories, Mary goes right along with us. She comforts and inspires us to travel onward, redirecting us when we’re off the path, and helping us up when we trip or fall. Indeed, Mary is a guide for all the seasons of our years and of our lives, beckoning us forward every step of the way.
The Power of Encouragement
The power of encouragement is an awesome force in anyone’s life, though its value may easily go unrecognized. Encouragement alone has been known to literally transform people’s lives. Each of us can look back on our own lives and recall times when someone’s encouragement made a big difference for us. We can also remember those times we know about when our own encouragement helped others in their time of need.
Our Lady plays a unique role for us as a vehicle of God’s encouragement, love, and care for a world overburdened with war and greed and poverty and the many kinds of suffering they produce in our individual and collective lives. She has been here like us, and done this, like us. She knew well, in her day, the tasks, responsibilities, joys, cares and concerns of daily life as a wife, a mother, and a woman of prayer. Infinitely equipped to help us find our way in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, Mary’s life-giving hopefulness also shows us a type of serenity, possible for us too, which can help us through each day, no matter what circumstances might arise.
Mary's Path On Earth
Mary’s path on earth was far from easy, but there is every indication that she walked it with grace, humility, dignity and courage, and above all, with hope. Underlying her tenderness of heart, we find an incredible strength of purpose, of commitment to her God, and of belief in the promise of a bright future planned for humanity from the beginning of time. In each circumstance of her life, she affirmed her trust in God with her “Be it done unto me according to Your word.” Though the call she received from God involved taking many risks and accepting much that was beyond her human understanding, Mary’s radical receptivity in answering this call with her life, made possible the incarnation of the long-awaited Messiah, an event which changed our world forever. And she pondered all these things in her heart….
I suspect that Mary also knew how to have a friendly chat over a cup of tea and to dress the wounds and soothe the fears of those around her. Now we, too, have the amazing grace of being the recipients of her same loving care and aid in every aspect of our lives. The whole world is now Mary’s family. She always has her listening heart and her first aid kit on hand to tend to the spiritual and physical needs of our wounded human family. Because she understands the challenges and pitfalls and bewilderments of our lives so well, she is a wonderful guide to follow. She perseveres with us no matter what the outer weather or interior struggles of our journey may be.
Mary, the encourager, is strong, compassionate, capable and inspiring. None of our problems here are too small to escape her notice or too large for her to help us carry. She teaches us how to gather and bring in our spiritual harvest in all seasons. She helps us to keep hope alive and to remember the divine seed planted in each of our own hearts. And I think she also shows us how to “lighten up”, to play, to see the joys of each day, and to relax in the knowledge that, in the end, all will be well.
To Persevere In Hard Times
What does it mean to follow in the footsteps of Mary today? I believe her example calls us to bring a compassionate, encouraging touch to all around us; to persevere in hard times; to remember always the presence of our loving God within and among us; and to share with others all that we know of the goodness of God and the goodness planted in each human heart. She calls us to live in Resurrection light, to trust God in everything, and to continue to follow God’s call in faith and confidence wherever it leads us. Mary has made a way for us, so we can indeed look to her all along the way, knowing that she will always be looking back, calling us onward, encouraging us, and reminding us that where she has gone, we also may go. Indeed, we will always sing, “Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we will follow in your footsteps”.
Blessed are they who hear
God’s Word and keep it.
Sr. Lynne Thérèse Elwinger of the Resurrection O.C.D.