January 1st is always a day filled with memories and a review of the past year, and anticipation for the year ahead. It is permeated with hopes and dreams, and sometimes the desire to leave some things behind. Amidst all of this is the profound presence and maternal spirit of Our Blessed Mother, whom we celebrate and honor today as Mary the Mother of God, or "Theotokos".
As I ponder the past year, I see the handprints of Our Lady and her powerful intercession throughout all the nooks and crannies of my life. There are a couple of momentous happenings that I wish to share that speak so clearly of who Our Lady is as Our Mother - spiritual and temporal, and of her unfailing love and steadfast assistance in all circumstances. In June, I was privileged enough to go on a dream trip to the Baltics with my son for two weeks, and then meet with my husband in Italy for another two weeks. Embarking upon this trip was a big risk for me, as I had relapsed with my health in late January and was struggling just to function on a daily basis. It was a huge leap of faith for me to get on that transatlantic flight to Krakow, Poland not knowing if my body would be able to handle the stresses and strains of such a trip, and fearing that I could end up in the hospital there with no means of communicating in the native of tongue of Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, or Latvia. It was a genuine concern, but every time I took it to prayer and asked another trusted intercessor to pray on this with me, I got a 'yes' you are to go on this trip. And so I did.
My son and I found ourselves in Czestochowa on the First Saturday of June, to honor Our Lady. I had promised my father that I was going to go for all of his intentions that day, as it was his birthday. I was struggling physically and in a lot of pain, but determined to get to this beautiful shrine. When we arrived the national site dedicated to Our Lady in Poland was teeming with visitors. It was hard for us as individuals who did not speak Polish to understand what was going on. We were able to go on a tour with a nun who spoke English, and rush through the museum and the lavish chapel where Our Lady's painting adorns the altar area. I was enamored with her beauty and the amazing story behind this image, but did not have time for deep prayer and contemplation, as we had to get in and out in about 30 seconds flat! It was meaningful because I had prepared with novenas and felt connected through my Polish heritage, but also a bit harried and lacking in spiritual nourishment, as we were rushed. I was able to pray for my Dad, and felt a debt of gratitude for that opportunity.
My son and I left soon thereafter and prepared to take the 2 hour ride home. In a world of pain, I boarded the train after getting drenched in an early summer downpour, and left it at that. We had made it and I was grateful. I did not expect to wake up the next day and begin to realize that my pain was nearly gone, and I had strength that I had not felt in months. This was a shock! It was as if my body was restored! I knew it was a healing through the intercession of Our Lady of Czestochowa and continue to marvel to this day at what she did for me that day, even when I wasn't feeling fully immersed in the experience or able to enter deeply into it at the time. She is indeed a mother who is always present and watching over our physical and spiritual needs, whether we are in consolation or desolation.
The second event regards my daughter and two different driving incidents. Both took place in the car on the highway on her way to choir practice during rush hour. The first incident occurred while she was driving my fairly new car, and began to experience severe shaking while in the HOV lane. Aware that something was gravely wrong, she began to get over to the right hand side of the highway with her emergency lights on. As she got all the way over, her friend in the back took a video of the car tire on the front passenger side of the car shredding and flying across the entire highway. It literally weaved its way between all of the cars and traffic and not a single person struck the tire, nor were there any accidents. It was as if it were divinely guided in a sense.
The second auto event happened soon thereafter in her own car on her birthday. She almost had not gone, but at the last minute decided it was best to attend her mandatory practice. She called me within a few minutes to tell me that she had put her signal on to change lanes, and before she could fully get over a car switched and zipped diagonally across two or three lanes and almost side swiped her at a high speed. She was able to get back over into her original lane but could not stop in time from hitting the person in front of her. It was a minor fender bender and no one was hurt, thanks be to God. I had prayed an extra Rosary that morning for her, as I felt compelled to do so.
These incidents illustrate to me that Our Mother wraps me, my family, and all of us as her spiritual children into swaddling clothes that she holds close to her breast and under her mantle of love. It is not magic, nor formulaic prayer. It is a relationship with the Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. She loves us perfectly with a maternal love that will never fail us and whether we are aware of it or not. “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb?" [Is 49:15] Our Lady nourishes us at her breast and within her womb as Holy Mother Church. She keeps us and our loved ones safe. May we walk in this assurance each day of this new year, and all the days of our lives. Amen.
