My name is Mary. Most of you will know me as the mother of Jesus. The story I share is Jesus’ story. It is also mine and it is yours. It is a story of joy and sorrow, love and hate, freedom and oppression, hope and promise, life and death. It began 33 years ago in a stable when our baby breathed his first breath. I remember it well and I remember the moment I understood that my child’s life would be different. After the normal blessing, Simeon, the priest, did the unexpected when he turned to me and said:

“this child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. A sword will pierce through your own soul also.”

Although I did not know exactly what the future would bring, I knew in my heart that it would not be easy. I stood beside my son, embraced his call and walked the road that led us to this day. At points, it has been heart breaking, at others challenging, but it has always been filled with amazing grace. He gave humanity a vision and called us all to a new way of life. He gave us hope and with it the promise that beyond the darkness there will be new life.

This vision burned in our hearts and filled our beings with possibility. Those with ears to hear and eyes to see left their places of comfort and safety and walked with him. He taught us the Divine melody and we sang “Hallelujah”!

In the words he spoke and through the way he lived, Jesus transformed lives. He opened doors to a new understanding and challenged abuse and oppression. As with all things in life, his words and actions brought consequences. People do not like change and those in power do not like to have their authority questioned. Jesus had, many times, angered the secular and religious leaders, and they wanted him silenced.

One of the most difficult things for a mother is to see her child suffer. As much as I supported him in his decisions and stood beside him in his ministry, I longed for things to be different. I wanted to see him settled, married, with children of his own and to watch him grow old. I was so proud of him, though. He stood up for his beliefs. He spoke out, risked, and would not bow to power. He changed life for so many – the sick, the poor, the widowed, children, the rich and the privileged. He turned the world upside down.

What his enemies failed to understand was that killing him would not kill what he started. They believed that as he died so too would the dream, but love cannot be silenced.

I stood at the foot of the cross that day on Calvary’s hill and wept. When they pierced his side, the sword pierced my soul and Simeon’s words rang in my ears. Even then, Jesus spoke with gentleness and care. He treated his enemies with dignity and love. As he drew his final breath, darkness covered the land and universe cried in anguish. In that moment I could see his dream. I knew that it had been planted deep in the soil of our souls and it would not die.

 Beyond the darkness, there is a ray of light – Divine amazing grace.