A Mother and 2 Sons on Either Side of a War
About 10 years ago, I read a book called A Higher Call by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander. It is about two pilots, an American and a German during WWII, who had a chance encounter on December 20, 1943. The Americans had just completed a successful bombing raid. Still, the B17 of Charles "Charlie" Brown, the American pilot, was badly damaged by German fighters during the airstrike, which rendered him defenseless and an easy-flying target. In the air at the time was Luftwaffe pilot Franz Stigler; he saw Brown's plane and was in the perfect position to take it down with a single strike. However, rather than taking the shot he was trained to take — the shot he was expected to take—Stigler protected Brown and his badly damaged bomber by escorting him over German-occupied territory until he reached friendly air space.
After the war, Brown searched for Stigler, the German soldier who saved his life. After 50 years of looking, and with some help from his children, Brown once again shared the same space, this time on the ground, of Franz Stigler. After exchanging stories, they realized that as they flew that day, they both had an often-used, well-worn set of rosary beads in their pockets. Two men caught on opposite sides of a terrible war shared the same Mother who guided each of them to see Christ in the other.
As we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption this month, it is important to understand Mary's role in the lives of the faithful. Both Catholics and non-Catholics alike sometimes misunderstand the role Mary plays in our spiritual lives. She was chosen and set apart for a sacred role. Mary was not merely a vehicle for Jesus's entry into this world but a mother who desires to bring each of us to the heart of her Son.
Mary plays an extraordinary role in the life of the faithful. As Jesus hung on the cross, in a dying declaration, He said to John, who stood at the foot of His blood-soaked cross, John, Behold your mother, and to His mother, Woman, behold your son. This was more than merely an arrangement for His mother to be cared for as she got on in age. Rather, Jesus knew that soon John would be something new—a priest at the dawn of Christianity. He took Mary as his mother, not just on behalf of himself but on behalf of the Church.
Mary's greatest desire is to help us draw closer to her precious Son; her love for Him is overwhelming. Jesus sprang forth within the very walls of her own life. Her belly stretched around the Savior of the world as her body nourished His physical needs. God chose her arms to be the shield and armor by which the Messiah would be cared for and protected. He grew from the milk of her breast and the care of her hands. She kissed His tiny toes and traced the line down His nose, from brow to chin, thousands of times as He slept. She nuzzled His sweet neck and kissed His tiny cheeks with a mother's affection and the adoration of a sinner in need of a Savior. As Jesus learned to walk, she held His hand and kissed His knee every time He fell. She brushed His hair by candlelight, ensured He had enough blankets during the cold nights, and prayed on her knees beside Him in the privacy of their small, warm home. She knew Him better than any other human who would ever live.
Mary desires no attention; she wants to kneel and pray with us. She wants to walk in the details of our lives and point us to her Son, who is the way, the truth, and the life. She does not desire nor deserve the worship meant for God alone. Instead, just as we ask our earthly mothers, sisters, and friends to pray for us, we ask her to pray for us—the woman Jesus gave to the Church, our Mother.
Hail Mary, full of grace, Pray for us!
Our Pray, Grow, & Serve Devotional this week has meditations for the 3rd and 4th Glorious Mysteries… Download for FREE (as always) and pray the rosary with your family!
For more information about joyfully reawakening a culture of life within your domestic church, visit www.pelicanprojectministry.org.
