I was in Florida at Christmas, and the compelling face on a statue of Mary in St. Francis of Assisi parish stopped me in my tracks. There is a sweetness and openness in her expression, and gracefulness in her stance.  

The first statue of the Blessed Mother I recall was in kindergarten in New York. She was holding the infant Jesus, while also stepping firmly upon a snake that had curled itself around her feet. I didn’t realize it then, but she was the ultimate multitasker, tending to her child while also crushing the dreaded enemy, Satan.  

Photo by Lorraine Murray

I stood before the statue in Seffner, Florida, as I pondered the New Year. Forget exercise and dieting; I yearned for changes that would edge me toward the ultimate goal of every Christian, which is Heaven. In the past, I haven’t chosen Mary to emulate because it seemed impossible for someone like me to walk in her footsteps.  

Evidently I’m not alone in feeling overwhelmed at the thought of imitating the Blessed Mother. You see, St. Therese of Lisieux expressed concern about the way some preachers made her “so different from us ordinary human beings that they raise her as much beyond our love, as beyond our imitation.”  

I thought about features of the Blessed Mother that ordinary mortals like yours truly might imitate. At the wedding feast in Cana, she showed a practical side, as she noticed the wine was running low. She understood how embarrassing that would be for the hosts, so in a moment of compassion she told Jesus, “They have no wine.” I love how she appraised him of the situation and trusted he would handle it.  

The words that she utters to the wine stewards have meaning far beyond the situation. “Do whatever he tells you.” This advice from the Blessed Mother can be life changing. “Come follow me,” Jesus said, and following him means complete surrender and obedience.  

When Jesus was born, an angel appeared to the shepherds to announce the amazing news. The shepherds hurried to visit the baby and told Mary and Joseph what the angel had said. In Luke 2:19, we have a moving description of the Blessed Mother’s reaction: “But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.  

She did not obsess over the events in her mind, nor did she worry about them. Instead, she placed the memory of these moments in the treasure trove of her heart. What a beautiful role model for folks like me, who are classic overthinkers!  

When their boy went missing, we can imagine how frantic she and Joseph were, as they faced a parent’s worst nightmare. They find Jesus in the temple, a 12-year-old boy talking with esteemed teachers, who are amazed at his understanding. Mary speaks the truth clearly, sounding like an ordinary, down-to-earth mother: “Your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” When Jesus tells them he must be about his “Father’s business,” they don’t understand his meaning. Once again, we are told his mother “kept all these things in her heart.”  

Mother Mary, pray for me, that I will be more faithful in trusting Jesus to handle my problems. Help me to always do whatever he tells me. And when things happen that I do not understand, pray that I will be like you, and keep the words of Jesus always in my heart.