We can better appreciate the challenge of the theme today if we ask the question, how did Mary serve? If we know how Mary served, then we can understand what kind of servanthood Mary gave birth to.
How did Mary serve? What kind of service did Mary offered? I’m sure like any good Jew during her time, Mary fasted, gave alms and prayed. But more than these pious practices the service of Mary is found in becoming the Mother of God. Her primary service was offering her life to be the Mother of Jesus. Her service was her total yes to God. From Bethlehem to Calvary and up to Pentecost, Mary gave herself to the Lord. She said yes. She was the Lord’s servant. “I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word.”
We are truly Mary’s children if we imitate her yes to God. She is truly our mother if we imitate her self-giving service to the Lord. Mary is the Mother of Servanthood because her yes was total. She is truly our mother if our yes too is total. We do not say yes to God only once, or twice. No, we say yes to the Lord everyday. In our name our parents and godparents said yes to the Lord when we were baptized. We say yes to him every time we take his word seriously in the Liturgy of the Word. We say yes to him every time we receive him in communion. We say yes to him every time we choose the principles of being a true Christian over the attraction of the world. Every day is an opportunity to be a servant. Every day is an opportunity to say yes to Jesus. Every day is an invitation to be like Mary.
Meron po akong paboritong T-shirt. Dahil paborito ko laging kong ginagamit. At dahil lagi kong ginagamit laging nilalabhan. At dahil laging nilalabhan laging sinasampay. At dahil laging sinasampay laging sumasabit sa alambre. At dahil laging sumasabit sa alambre hindi na mabilang ang butas. Hindi na ako nagugulat na sa bawat pagsuot ko ng t-shirt laging may bagong butas, may bagong tastas. Pero nung minsang nagpalaba ako sa bahay, nakasama po dun ung paborito kong t-shirt. Pagbalik sa akin, pagsuot ko ng t-shirt. Aba, walang nang butas. Bawat butas, bawat tastas, tinahi na. Sa bahay po namin ang mas matiyagang magrepair ng butas na punja at tastas sa damit, hindi po ang nanay ko, kundi ang tatay ko. Tuwing isusuot ko po ang paborito kong damit damang dama ko ang pagmamahal ng tatay ko. Alam ko mahal ako ng tatay ko, dahil hindi niya ako pinababayaan. Pero kahit sa kaliit-liitang pagkakataon, sa bawat butas na tinahi, sa bawat tastas na sinulsi, alam ko mahal ako ng tatay ko.
We became servants of the Lord when we said Yes to him in our baptism. And we hope we will continue to be his servant and say Yes to him in the face of our death. But in between, we have to continue saying Yes, not once, not twice, but everyday. Like Mary, our yes must be total. We have to say yes over and over again.
