Where's Mary?

As we enter into these forty days of Lent which represent the forty days Christ spent in the desert let us stop to ponder this important question asked by a Brother Priest in the Community of St. John.

"Where was Mary during the forty days Christ was in the desert? Was she with him? Was she with Joseph? What was she doing?"


Of course the Gospels tell us nothing of Mary during this time. So, where was Mary, what was she doing? What was she thinking?

As I reflected on this question I wondered especially what she must have been thinking. I cannot imagine wondering about my beloved in the desert for forty days. I thought, Mary must have been beside herself with worry for Jesus' safety and needs.

But then Father's answer came. What was Mary doing? She was adoring God, and in doing so adoring Christ in the desert.

So as we enter into this forty days may our hearts and minds be allured into the desert where He will speak to our hearts. Let us enter into the desert with Mary in adoration of her son. Resting our head on his heart seeking to fully understand the love he has for us, and perhaps most difficultly, letting him love us. This is especially difficult as we become more aware during the season of Lent of our sinfulness, our failures, and our infidelities. May we grow in humility and love as we adore!