The Spiritual Motherhood of Mary in the Light Of John's Gospel
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Date
2005-04
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
My choice of the topic: "The Spiritual Motherhood of Mary. Its Application to the
Cottolengo Contemplative Sisters in the Third Millennium," was inspired by my
grandmother's genuine and innocent' question: "Are you really going to get lost wholly
without leaving behind an image of yourself?" This question made me ask some rhetorical
questions, which have lingered in my mind since 1992, twelve years down the line.
Do women cease to be mothers the moment they renounce physical
motherhood to embrace religious life?
C. Do they really merit the title "bitter spinsters" who have run away from family
responsibilities in order to enjoy life egoistically, as my grandmother and many
others say?
This essay attempts to answer the above queries by trying to explore the Cottolengo
contemplatives' vocation to spiritual motherhood, in imitation of Mary the Mother of God and
our Mother. I have purposely chosen Mary to accompany me as my guide and model in this
research, simply because she lived and continues to live her vocation to both physical and
spiritual motherhood in the truest and fullest sense of the term.
By fixing my eyes on her in prayer, I already have a glimpse that, had the religious
women ceased to be mothers, had they renounced their vocation to motherhood, they would not only be the most unfortunate category of people on earth, but they would also merit
everybody's pity. The title "bitter spinsters" would really befit them. That of the religious
women, however, is a motherhood that is realized at a different level, at the spiritual level.
This however, does not mean that renunciation of the physical motherhood is not demanding.
Actually, our current Pope John Paul II underlines lucidly that which it entails: "Renunciation
of physical motherhood which can involve great sacrifice for a woman, makes possible a
different kind of motherhood: motherhood according to the spirit."2
Through this study therefore, I want to deepen my knowledge of our sublime vocation
(as Cottolengo contemplatives), to spiritual motherhood, in order to savor its sweetness and to
grow in greater appreciation and love of it, because as the axiom goes: "The more we know,
the more we love." It is my humble intention too in writing this paper, to be able to present to
my people — in a balanced but convincing way — the truth that the renunciation of physical
motherhood in order to consecrate one's life to God, does not impoverish or suffocate one's
life in sterility. If truth be told, such renunciation for such a noble cause elevates one to a
motherhood that is far superior,3 by virtue of one's spiritual union with God. The method that
we will use in writing this essay is descriptive, analytical and synthetic.
This research paper is composed of four chapters. The first chapter looks into the divine motherhood of Mary, as the background against which we will study Mary's spiritual
motherhood. Her spiritual motherhood springs, as it were, from her divine motherhood. In
chapter two we will present a synthetic analysis of Mary's spiritual motherhood in the light of John's gospel. We will make ample use of John's Calvary episode (JnI9:25-27) in which
Mary features eminently as a spiritual mother.
Chapter three reflects on the spiritual motherhood of Mary as experienced in the
"Little [louse of Divine Providence," taking as our point of departure the life history of St.
Joseph Benedict Cottolengo — the founder of the above-named "opera," and his personal
experience of Mary's spiritual motherhood. This will zero in on a brief consideration of the
active response that is expected from God's and Mary's children — beneficiaries of Mary's
maternal love, care, protection... name them. Finally, chapter four will be a concrete
demonstration of how the Cottolengo contemplative sisters realize their vocation to spiritual
motherhood, following in the footsteps of Mary, their model and teacher. This essay closes
with a general conclusion in which the ideas from the four chapters are recapitulated.
The ideas and insights that make up this essay are taken from the rich mines of Sacred
Scripture, Magisterium, sound and reliable literature on the topic, Cottolengo's spirituality
and personal reflections. Lastly, I have decided to focus my attention on the Cottolengo
contemplative sisters in the third millennium for the simple reason that we are "products" of
our time: a time tarnished by individualism, materialism, secularism..., all attitudes that
bespeak in very human terms, efficiency and productivity. Thus, whatever and whoever does not bring in profit is excluded. This exclusion may go to the extent of moral extermination or
at most, even taking one's life. Thus, the figure of a mother4 makes a world of difference, in a
world and culture of death as the one we are living in. This is because she sows seeds of life
wherever she finds herself
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Keywords
Mary's Divine Motherhood:, Basis oilier Spiritual Motherhood, Mary as Theoftikos, Mary's Spiritual Motherhood in the Light ofJohn, The Cottolengo Contemplative Sisters: Spiritual Mothers, like Mary in the Order of grace, The Hermitage of the I loly Rosary, A Panoramic View of the Cottolengo Communities, The Cottolengo Contemplative Communities, The Role of the Holy Spirit in Spiritual Mothering, The Two Dimensions of Spiritual Motherhood, Bringing Forth Christ, Bringing Forth the Humanity, Obstacles to Spiritual Motherhood