'Who is My Mother?' What Did Jesus REALLY MEAN! | Mthr. Natalia

Mother gives a meditation on The Theotokos she had during the Feast of the Dormition.

[ValentinBrutusBura]

I am praying for everyone, with deepest reverence. May the Lord shine His face upon us, sinners. Amen!!

[I-Am-He]

Yeah makes sense, Mary received and remained faithful to God’s will. Blessed are the faithful to the will of God.

[ValentinBrutusBura]

There should be no abortions, absolutely none. Let's work together on that!!

[jennywalborn]

Amen, well explained! Jesus, The Word, ALWAYS has deeper meaning to everything He says and does! Hearing, accepting, and acting.. receiving first and then acting....faith and works, hand in hand...we have lessons to learn in every moment. God is so good! Praise be Jesus!❤

[HeartFireSessions]

I needed this today. I may need this everyday for awhile. Thank you

[Linger-iu]

I love the insight on Mary and Martha. Too many of us ( myself included) can be tempted to compare what we are doing to others. I think focusing on Jesus (like Mary did) helps us keep
our eyes where they belong…on the bridegroom.
Thank you Mother!

[sandstorm]

1. Aw, I wasn't aware there were sites claiming to be Mary's tomb. As a new Catholic I had heard and figured she was assumed straight into Heaven like Elijah and Jesus, which felt very fitting for the immaculate Mother of God. I don't like the idea of her having to die and feel it's incorrect, but I guess I'll look into the validity of these sites and their history more to see if she truly died. (They could be fake claims, as well why are there multiple sites when there should only be one?)

2. Thank you for covering this verse! I have seen anti-Catholic detractors use this verse to claim Jesus was putting down Mary as not holy or important, which sounded very conflicting with all the other Catholic theology and Biblical parallels surrounding her, but your explanation makes much more sense! Why would God choose Mary to be Jesus' mother only for Jesus to insult her and diminish her? It made no sense. (Similarly, anti-Catholics use Jesus calling Mary "woman" at the wedding of Cana as him putting her in her place, but I've heard Catholics say he was refering to her as the New Eve, "woman" as a title of importance and beauty. Because again, why would Jesus break one of the Ten Commandments by not honoring his mother? The Catholic perspective makes more sense and doesn't make Jesus look rude to his own mother.)

[josephrandazzo]

God Bless you and your ministry. Your reflections make my day. God is an Awesome God, I am so grateful for Mary's yes so even I have a chance to go to our heavenly home, which I do not deserve. Thank You

[trlevan]

We can all receive the Word and give our fiat. ❤

[sharang]

Mary heard and listen to the voice of God before she fed jesus or bore him in the womb. He highlighted not just her love as a mother but her being a daughter of god first listening to his father

[chrisiswright]

“Cloud of Unknowing” explains that Mary and Martha are examples of the contemplative and active life respectively. Mary had the higher, contemplative life

[BinkyTheElf]

The passage about the woman crying out also strikes me as a warning, given the recent history of the Jews prior to Jesus. After the Maccabees, the Hasmonean family “the hope of Israel” took control of the throne and altar. The terrible doings in that family over time led to Roman control over the area, and to King Herod and sons.

Yes, Blessed Mary is truly blessed in bearing & nurturing the Incarnate Word: yet the kind of kingdom Jesus the King brings into the world is not like that of the Hasmonean dynasty, or Herod, or Caesar. Rather it is a kingdom according to the pure & perfect will of God, and those who seek first that will and word.

Thus Mary is of the old Royal line of David, but isn’t born in a palace. She bears the promised king & messiah, yet after the Annunciation, she follows the prompting of the Holy Spirit to visit St. Elizabeth. There, the Mother of God isn’t coddled and pampered, but instead is full of self-sacrificial love, and humbly serves her pregnant cousin as a helper and handmaiden for three months.

[perseomediterraneo]

Thanks for sharing your reflections from your byzantine tradition, Mother Nathalia! It would be great a retirement in this kind of monastery. An attempt is live following Uncreate beauty in the streets of our cities through the encounters with others. Buen camino y hasta la próxima!! Carmelo

[reeferfranklin]

I don't believe you dogmatically have to believe she died or not, just that she was assumed bodily into Heaven, the rest is up to your conscience.

I personally believe in the Dormition, that she was offered not to die because she had no sin but chose death to experience what her Son did...then again I have a particular love for the Eastern Church even though I'm Roman Catholic.

[alphacause]

It used to always bother me when Jesus would speak in a way that was not straightforward. As I have gotten older I can appreciate the cryptic messaging. It forces the person to truly ruminate on what Jesus was saying, so that when the epiphany happens through the struggle of trying understanding, it stays with a person. In my own life, even outside of the religious realm, concepts that I struggled to understand and master stay in my memory and effect me far more than answers that were just spoon fed to me.

[ValentinBrutusBura]

Saint Brigid was carried to Heaven, too. :)

[MsSaturn]

The sisters look like the ancient greek actors

[pamelahermano]

I assumed Mary didn’t die simply because of the Adam and Eve story. The wages of sin is death. My understanding is that Mary was born without original sin and didn’t sin throughout her life and so would not be subject to the consequences of Adam’s decision to disobey God which was death. But I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, it’s not like I was there 2000 years ago to verify.

[goodgoosespot]

Nothing wrong with a giggle or laugh.ive had humurous things pop into my mind at mass or while praying.Ide like to think God has a sense of humour if weve made a woopsie....Tell me Jesus never made a joke or commented at irony?

[sunnyjohnson]

Jesus says at Matthew 12:48: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” His disciples were like real brothers, sisters, and mothers to him!

The takeaway from Luke 11:27, 28 was that this would’ve been the opportunity for Jesus to pay special honor to his mother if that had been appropriate. He didn’t do so because true happiness is found in being a faithful servant of God, not in any physical ties or accomplishments.