MARY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT

The gospels of Saint Matthew, Saint Luke and Saint Mark, clearly demonstrate that the reality of Jesus Christ as Messiah is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, not a result of the blood ties:

“While he spoke a woman raising her voice from the crowd, said: “Blessed are the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” But he replied:

“Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice (Lc 11, 27-28).

Jesus was fully aware that his mission was to build the Family of God, which is not based on ties of blood, but the bonds of the Holy Spirit.

That is why Jesus rejects certain statements that seem to oppose this truth:

“Was he speaking to the crowd, when they showed his mother and his brothers, outside, tried to talk to him, one said to him:

“Your mother and your brothers are here and want to talk to you. Jesus said to him that made the statement: “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And indicating with his disciples, he said:

My mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of my Father in heaven and do it, for whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, this is it my brother and sister and mother (Mt 12 46-50).

Come the Saturday, and Jesus began to teach in the synagogue. The many listeners were filled with amazement and said:

“Whence comes all this power? And what wisdom is this? How can perform such miracles? Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And his sisters are not here among us? And it shocked them (Mark 6, 2-4).

In the story of Mary's visit to Saint Elizabeth, Saint Luke presents Mary as a main mediation for the coming of Jesus Christ:

Mary was pregnant with Jesus and her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist.

Upon learning that his cousin was pregnant and near the end of time, Mary decided to visit her.

When Mary came to the house of her cousin, the power of the Holy Spirit did John the Baptist to exult in the midst of Saint Elisabeth.

The story has a symbolic meaning. First says it was not John who sent the Holy Spirit to Jesus when he baptized Jesus, rather it was Jesus who gave the Holy Spirit to John when his mother visited her cousin Elizabeth.

Second appears the figure of Mary as the great mediation of the Holy Spirit in the event of the Messiah.

Indeed it was Mary who brought Jesus Christ, the bearer of the Holy Spirit, to John the Baptist.
Here is the story of Saint Luke:

“In those days Mary set out the way and to the mountains, to a city of Judea. Entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the boy jumped for joy in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Then, raising his voice, exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

In fact, once you greeting reached my ears, the baby leapt for joy in my heart” (Lc 1, 39-44).

We cannot deny the symbolic value and beauty of this text of Saint Luke in which you want to make the connection between John the Baptist the prophet and Jesus Christ the Messiah.

As regards the figure of Mary, Saint Luke develops all the theological richness associated with the mother of the Messiah:

Mary appears in this report as a woman of faith: “Blessed are you who believed (Luc 1, 45).

Like Abraham, Mary believed. Thanks to his faith, Abraham became the mediator of God's blessing for humanity, as the Book of Genesis said:

“And the Lord said to Abraham: “I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and your name will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you. And in your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed (Genesis 12: 2-3).

Being the mother of the Messiah and a woman of Faith, Mary received the mission of being a privileged mediation of the blessings promised to Abraham for Humanity.

The source of the blessings that God gave us in Christ is the Holy Spirit who brings us into the Family of God.

Here are some suggestive words of Saint Paulo regarding this issue: “All them who are guided by the Holy Spirit are sons of God.

You did not receive a spirit of slavery, but a Spirit of adoption by whom can call Abba, dear Father (Rom 8, 14-15).

In Communion with You

Calmeiro Matias