We know her by many names and titles… Virgin Mary, Blessed Mother, Madonna , Our Lady, Star of the Morning, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Cause of our Joy, Mother of Mercy.
But for us, Filipinos, we have an endearing term… Mama Mary, our quintessential mother. By the Joyful mysteries of the rosary we recite, her utmost qualities comets mind.
In the Annunciation we see her innocence, deep faith in God and unquestioning obedience. At the age of 14 which modern days consider as the start of teen age rebellious years, she was engaged to Joseph who was way more senior than she was. Biblical scholars place his age between 80 to 90. Good enough to be her grandfather. She had every reason to rebel but marrying an aging carpenter is not even the major issue.
The unwavering belief in her Creator was put to the test when Angel Gabriel announced that she was about to conceive not because of her husband-to-be Joseph’s doing but with the power of the Holy Spirit. How on earth can a teener explain her immaculate conception in an era where women were stoned to death when they get pregnant outside marriage? She must have quivered at the thought but she still surrendered her free will and obeyed, “Be it done to me according to thy word.”
And she was rewarded by Joseph’s protection. After he was enlightened by the angel that his son was of God, he chose to spare Mary from exposing her secret and be shamed in public. He still went on to marry her.
She was the epitome of compassion. The second Joyful Mystery gives us a glimpse of how Mary put others first before her own comfort. She was around 6 months on the way when she learned that Elizabeth was also heavy with child. She made it a point to visit her cousin despite the distance no, not in the comfort of riding a bus, train or plane. She probably had to weather heat, rain and sandstorms riding a donkey and negotiating rough terrain. Any conceiving woman in her right mind would prefer the comforts of home than risk losing her baby in such a strenuous travel. But she dismissed all that and went to the aide of her pregnant cousin who must have been having difficulty because of her old age.
She never complained. She had to go through a lot before the third Joyful mystery on the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ ever happened. Imagine traveling far and wide just to have their family registered by the census, getting into labor and knowing not where to go. Nobody could accommodate them when she was about to give birth. The inns and houses of Bethlehem were full of migrants who travelled like them just to be listed by the government. She ended up bringing forth Jesus in a stable with all the stinky animals. I, myself, shudder at the thought of delivering my own babies at home in the hands of a comadrona but Mary quietly dealt with the possible dangers of giving birth in open air.
Wise men and shepherds gave homage to the little Christ. She deserved all the praises after all she had been through but she did not mind being shoved away from the spotlight, giving way to accolades for her god-child, the King.
Right after Jesus came into the world, her family had to move around again and escape the wrath of King Herod who ordered the killing of all male infants for fear that he would be replaced. Again, Mary suffered in silence.
The worse pain parents could ever endure is the death of their child. Oral tradition has it that Joseph was given a glimpse of Jesus’ suffering. He could not take it so he asked God that he be taken away before this ever happened. He was said to die of injuries after getting into an accident while building the governor’s house. Mary was left alone to witness the gruesome killing of her son on the shameful cross. It was a good thing that God granted her the grace to see him live again after his resurrection.
This is the character that our Mama Mary is made of so despite being called idol-worshippers by Christian Protestants, Catholics choose to hold her dearly on a pedestal, remember her goodness as they venerate her statues, pictures and novenas, and celebrate their endearment through different festivals.
December 8 is when we remember her conception, the Annunciation on March 25, her assumption into heaven on August 15 but the most celebrated are the festivals of May.
Dedicating the month of May to Mama Mary could be attributed to her canonical coronation by the Church on May 1, 1920. Filipino Catholics celebrate it month-long, dubbed as Flores de Mayo or Flowers of May.
This is the time when townsfolk gather colorful flowers and decorate the Church as token of thanksgiving to the Holy Mother for her intercession to have rains starting to come after the dry season.
Each 31 days of May celebrate Mary’s “virginal virtues, with children sprinkling fragrant petals as they march down the Church aisle.” This they call Alay sa Birhen (An Offering to the Virgin).
Afternoons are spent with the congregation of the local community praying the rosary, after which they share homemade delicacies over friendly chats. (Flores de Mayo and Santa Cruzan Festival, www.philippinecountry.com).
The Santa Cruzan takes center stage during the May Festivals. Historically, this is the dramatization of Emperor Constantine the Great’s Search of the Holy Cross. Its modern secular version is quite a far cry from the original story where the daintiest damsels of the town parade in their gala gowns, celebrating beauty at its best.
After much of the fanfare over the procession of local princesses, the statue of Mama Mary trails behind making a quiet statement of the courage, compassion and deep faith in God that she lived and breathed… the qualities that make a true Queen.
Photo credits: www.forums.catholic.com