Is she Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge), Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Audrey Hepburn, Maria Sharapova, Tessie Sy-Coson, your teacher, your “lola,” or your mother? Sometimes, we will be dismayed to learn that the generation today reveres celebrities who dress around half naked, who are involved in drugs, in pre-marital sex and extra-marital affairs. Our society values status and beauty above true success and values.
A true role model is one who possesses the qualities that we would like to imitate in our lives. And who would be more perfect for that title than the Blessed Virgin Mary? She is the perfect spouse, parent, friend, and relative. She is a woman of substance as she possesses outstanding virtues such as humility, obedience, detachment, charity, purity, … (name them all). Mother Teresa called Our Lady, “the most beautiful of all women, the greatest, the humblest, the most pure, the most holy… a model for all women.” In fact, one of her great secret of sanctity was her closeness to Mary whom she loved so much. She wrote: “Cling to Mary and ask her to teach you how to love Jesus more and more since no one did the will of God as completely as she did.”
Mary inspired admiration and emulation. She did not gossip. She was serene and at peace in the face of sufferings. She was obedient; unlike many of us “Cafeteria Catholics” who chose what we wanted to believe and what we wanted to disregard on the Church’s teachings. In a twentieth century setting, Mary is not the type who will post a selfie on social media, but who only wants our attention on Jesus. We cannot imagine her wasting so much time on long phone conversations, soap operas, computer games, and some social networking services. Her choice of clothes will be something elegant and modest, avoiding low neckline and short skirts.
We cannot go wrong in choosing Mary as our role model for today’s generation. By imitating and loving her, we have the key in our quest for sainthood. She will lead us straight to her Son, Jesus.
(Reference: “Mother Teresa’s Lessons of Love & Secrets of Sanctity” by Susan Conroy; “Catholic Truths for Our Children” by Patti Armstrong; “You can become a Saint!” by Mary Ann Budnik)
Santuario de San Antonio Parish 