‘The loveliest Masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a Mother’ – St Therese of Lisieux

You will agree that mothers are mysterious creatures. They are perhaps the most difficult to understand and almost impossible to define. The essence of their existence is so unique that even after several months of birth an infant fails to consider its Mother a separate entity. During pregnancy, they share the same body, blood, nourishment, and even breathe the same air! A new-born enters a whole new world in absolute dependence on its mother.

By nature, the identity of a mother is relational. Mothers can hardly be studied if not for the relationship they share with their children. That is where their focus lies and that is exactly where they would want the world to focus on too. A mother always goes beyond herself to identify with her child and share, rather, sacrifice her life primarily for them.

If nature has endowed Mothers with selfless-beauty that cannot be grasped, how much more beautiful and extraordinary would Mary, the Mother of God be? How much more would she live her life in union with that of her Child? And how profoundly would she point beyond herself to the greater reality of Christ? Could Mother Mary ever refuse to lead us to Jesus, her loving Son?

As we approach the birth of ‘the dawn of salvation’ – the greatest gift we have received is not just Mary – the Mother of God but Mary, our Mother too! For having given us His all, Jesus on the Cross CHOSE to give us His mother as well.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 19 verses 26 and 27 we hear, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple who he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son’. Then turning to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’  And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

To celebrate our Mother’s birth, the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum brings to your heart and home fifteen paintings inspired by and devoted to our Blessed Mother. The artworks are timeless and their artists boundless in expression. We invite you to journey along with us through this series titled –: Mary – A Masterpiece.

© – Archdiocesan Heritage Museum

Reference – Hahn, Scott, ‘Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God’, June 2001