Mary in the midst of COVID-19 – Br. Norbert Mwila

MESSAGE FROM BROTHER NORBERT, PROVINCIAL OF SOUTHERN AFRICA

At the beginning of May, we implore Mary’s maternal care and solidarity with the global family affected by Covid-19 over the past months.

Our Good Mother is a remarkable figure with her life experiences of joy, sorrow and hope. She fittingly shares experiences similar to those we feel in the face of pandemic. Mary cares for us and empathises with our suffering global family.

CARE

Two months ago, at the Meeting in Rome of the Provincials and District leaders, “CARE” was among the core topics discussed at length and that it needed to be regarded as a take away package to our respective Administrative Units.

We shared in groups on the following questions, questions that are meaningful to our Brothers and Lay persons who are a part of the family of Champagnat Marists:

• How do we care for ourselves? How do we care for others?
• How do we care for the material goods and resources for our mission?
• How do we care for our common home, the planet?

Let us allow Mary to outline a pathway for us in the light of her own experience.

At the Annunciation, Mary did not fully understand what the message meant and the paths she would have to take in bringing Jesus into the world. However, after the angel’s explanation, she put her utter trust and confidence in God. Her courageous trust and faith helped her to believe that nothing is impossible for God.

During the worldwide experience of Covid-19, do we still believe that God is able to put the world right? Do we have the hope and trust in God, a trust without any limits?

At the Visitation, Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth included a gesture of self-sacrifice, dedicated service and human solidarity to a needy and elderly woman.

In our time, we have medical personnel, doctors, nurses and other carers who have selflessly worked overtime to help the world in need. This has involved taking risks as they treat victims of the virus and bury the deceased.

At Cana, “When the wine ran short, the Mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine.” The world is in a state of fear and uncertainty in the face of an unseen virus. May Mary in her concern and solidarity with the global family intercede for us with her Son to bring some lasting good to the world out of the pandemic. International organisations, governments and Church leaders are working together to institute measures to help control the spread of the virus. As members of society, we have a religious obligation and a civic duty to follow these preventive measures against the spread of the virus.

At the foot of the cross “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister …. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved.”

Mary suffered both a physical and an emotional pain as she witnessed her dying son. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, close on 200 thousand lives have been lost. The number of confirmed cases and of deaths continues to rise. Mary in her compassion would feel the pain a mother for the suffering of family of humanity. She is to us a caring mother and companion who stays with us in our situation of isolation or quarantine in a country lockdown. At the same time, she is there to console families that have lost a loved one.

A time of waiting in hope and prayer, “When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying … all these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women and Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers.”

It is enormously challenging for our countries and the many people we serve to see the devastating effects of Covid-19. However, as believers in the Lord, we remain together, united in thought and prayer.

Let us continue to hope for a better world when the epidemic is a thing of the past. In the words of one writer, “we will probably have a deeper understanding of how little we actually need, how much we truly have, and the extraordinary value of human love and connection.”

Mary our ordinary resource, protect ad guide us.

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Br. Norbert Mwila – Provincial Southern Africa