Mary Kept all these things in her heart

Since Easter our readings at Mass have been recounting the different appearances of Jesus----That morning on the shore after returning from a nights fishing, the apostles found Him preparing breakfast for them, and heard him call: ' Friends come and have breakfast' (Jh.21). The time he came to the two Apostles on their journey to Emmaus and explained the scriptures to them. The beautiful meeting with Mary Magdelen in the garden in the hush of the silent morning dew when He spoke her name with such tenderness: Mary Why weepest thou? and her glad cry of recognition-----Rabboni ( Jh 20)

Many other appearances are also recorded for us. But what about His own dear Mother? She wasn't with the other women who come early that Easter morning to anoint the Body of Jesus in the tomb. Let us listen to the following extracts taken from A woman wrapped in silence by the poet John W. Lynch:

'------We do not discover she was there
we do not find
her name. She is not mentioned, she who stood
until the last pain passed from Him who had
not failed, nor flagged, nor even made delay
To any need in all His years, she was
not there, who gave him birth, who is his mother
was not there!'

Here in John's home she must wait for Him, as David wrote so long ago
'For God alone my soul in stillness waits' (Psalm 61)

'lonely in the silence and the trust
of silence in her heart that did not seek
or cry or search, but only waited him'

And can we doubt that this Son of so much love did not come to her in the first light of dawn

'when she first lifted
up her eyes, and quiet, unamazed,
saw him near, this is her own, this moment
when he came----will be her own---'

We do not know what words they exchanged or indeed if any words were needed-----'words so deep and intimate that go beyond all words'. Both knew what the other had suffered and their union as redeemer and co-redemptrix will be honoured forever. And now in John's home, Mary continued to keep all these things in her heart, Her soul in stillness, believed and prayed for the young Church entrusted to her maternal care.

What were the thoughts and sentiments of Peter and John and the other 'lads' during these early days and weeks as they looked at this quiet woman walking so bravely among them? They loved her, this dear lady who kept for them all that was precious to them. The memory of the Man who entrusted to them - poor fishermen--- the mission of bringing His good news to the world, "Go out to the whole world proclaiming the good news { Mk. 16}

The memory of the Man who came through closed doors and breathed on them saying: "receive the Holy Spirit {Jh.20} Would they recognise the part Mary played in those days in the words of the poet Gerald M Hopkins The blessed Virgin compared to the air we breathe - perhaps making their sentiments his?

World air, world mothering air
nestling me everywhere-------
she now had this one work to do,
let all Gods glory through.
Gods glory which would go
through her and from her flow off-----
If I have understood
she holds high motherhood
towards all our ghostly good’

And we what are our sentiments? Can we too tune in to these lines and maybe we also wherever we may be
have this one work to do: ‘let all Gods glory through’.