In honor of Mater

Statue of Mater at Colegio Guadalajara del Sagrado Corazón in Guadalajara, México
Statue of Mater at Colegio Guadalajara del Sagrado Corazón in Guadalajara, México

In honor of Mater,
I ask you to look at the painting or at a statue of Mater with new eyes.
I invite you to look deeply and do what Mary has done in the representation.
That is, put down your work,
… Stop … pause and … look inward.
For Mater, the inward gaze brought her to a place, seemingly, of peace.
As we reflect on Mary’s inwardness, we note that her inwardness is not exclusive,  
not a barrier and not a wall.
To the contrary, her inwardness seems to invite us … to our own inner space …
to discover the peace and ‘at ease-ness’ with the divine discovered therein.
Let us, in honor of Mater’s Feast then, take the time to practice interiority:
A moment of silence … a moment of quiet … a prayer without words …
silence … solitude … a contemplative gaze.
This is what Mater draws us to.

Maureen Glavin, RSCJ