One of the most impactful classes I ever took was a “Grief and Loss” course taught by Melissa Kelley, Ph.D., at Boston College. Possibly due to the heaviness of the topic, she wisely integrated the topic of resilience into the course. Resilience is the ability to face difficult situations well; it is something that can be learned and practiced. As Catholics, learning and practicing resilience includes renewing our “yes” to God even in difficult moments.
One of the course readings was a chapter in Southwick and Charney’s book Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges. The authors interviewed “resilient people” and identified common themes among their coping strategies:
“In response to stress, all of the individuals we interviewed confronted their fears, maintained an optimistic but realistic outlook, sought and accepted social support, and imitated sturdy role models.”
Mary is our role model. Her example increases our resilience as we traverse the terrains of our faith journey. She models faith, hope, and love, teaching us how to adore her Son when he is:
hidden (as within her womb),
vulnerable (as when he was persecuted by Herod as an infant),
and lost (as when he was twelve years old in the Temple).
She models trust:
when she asks him to attend to those in need (as in the wedding in Cana),
and when he preaches something unexpected about family bonds (as in Matthew 12:46-50).
She remains present in his death and the paschal mystery.
Mary models her unyielding receptivity to God’s will; her “yes” to God reflects her hope and trust in Him.
How can we likewise encounter God and place our hope in Him?
One of the things Mary did in Jesus’s early life is “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I wonder when the first time was that she shared with someone else the treasures she kept and pondered in her heart. The fact that this is documented in Scripture lets us know that she eventually shared her experiences and reflections. She did not ultimately keep Jesus—literally or spiritually—to herself. She shared the truth of him and the ways God revealed himself in her life.
We often do not understand why certain things happen the way they do. Certain things make little to no sense as they are happening. We can ponder these things in our hearts and get to know Jesus in the hills and valleys and deserts of life. We can look to Mary as an example of resilient hope in God.
Our friends in Heaven, like St. Pope John Paul II, encourage us to have resilient hope:
“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!”
Mother Mary, pray for us and draw near to us so we may ever closely follow your example of “yes” to God in all circumstances.
Coralys Quintero Muñoz is a happy wife living a happy life. She attends Mary, Mother of the Church Parish where she teaches Confirmation with her husband Daniel. She works as a Mental Health Clinician.
Answering Christ’s call, Pilgrim Center of Hope guides people to encounter Him so as to live in hope, as pilgrims in daily life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
