Chapter 9: Our Lady's Seeking

As I sit down to write this reflection on the Reed of God, I realize that I'm running out of steam.  So come on, commenters!  Share your wonderful insight to make up for my short-comings tonight!  And remember- if you've fallen behind just jump up to this chapter.  Since they're individual essays, it's not necessary to read them in order. 

Two main points and one question:

1) Mary was always seeking Christ.  "Her search did not end when she found Him in the Temple, and it did not really begin when she lost Him on the road from Jerusalem" (pg. 140)

I absolutely loved Houselander's descriptions of Mary's "seeking Christ" in each stage of her life.

• "to believe that he was in her"
• "to believe that this little child whom she rocked to sleep was God"
• "that it was God whom she taught to walk, to speak and to hold a spoon"
• "to believe that it was God who obeyed them"
• to believe it was "God who grew and who increased in wisdom"
• (All of the above quotes are found on page 140.)

I can relate to this idea of seeking Christ in each stage of my life.  (This is good- since the next chapter is titled "Our Seeking"!) 

2) We are called to love our neighbor, which is far more than humanity.  "It was not for a crowd that He was dying, but for each person in the crowd, not for the human race, but for each member of the human race"  (pg. 144). 

"In the face of the multitude- real or imaginary- it is easy to forget the needs of each one in the multitude.  Face to face with one man, we cannot forget" (pg. 145).  This is so true on so many levels.  It's easy to love "the poor".  It's hard to love the stinky, crass man who comes in your shop.  It's easy to love "the hungry".  It's hard to love the man begging for food on the corner.  It's easy to love "the sick".  It's hard to make time to make a meal or watch the kids of a sick friend. 

3) A question.  Pages 142-143 speak of Mary's loss of self at the death of Christ.  I feel I'm not totally getting this.  Do you?  Can you help me?  "Mary found her lost Child on Calvary.  The condition of finding Him was the loss of herself.  She had to die, even out of her self-donation to God"  (pg. 142).  What does that mean? 

I can't wait to read your insights!