Page 27 - LOTN Autumn Issue 48 2021

FAITH AND CULTURE
Mary is a mother

with mothers

BY SR JANET FEARNS FMDM

he is beautiful! The twelfth century church of
Santiago is the oldest in the Spanish town of A
Coruña. It is also at the very beginning of the “English
SWay” of the pilgrimage route to Compostela. There,
in a tiny Lady chapel, is an exquisite statue of Our Lady –
and she is heavily pregnant. Mary’s left hand rests on her
abdomen in the same way that countless women throughout
history have felt the movements of the little one in their
womb. Mary feels the unborn Jesus and smiles.
Yet there is more. She raises her right hand in blessing. It’s a
wonderful example of folk art and theology from the “bottom
up”. Mary is in contact with her son and his blessing passes to
us through his mother’s hands.
This motif of Mary blessing us through her pregnancy is
seen again and again throughout Galicia, in churches and on
the side of buildings. It survived despite official instructions to
destroy such images. The male Church hierarchy sometimes felt
uncomfortable with art which represented Mary’s humanity "Mary’s left hand rests on her abdomen in the same way that
in such a down-to-earth fashion. The painting of Our Lady countless women throughout history have felt the movements
of Guadalupe was less controversial insofar as her pregnancy of the little one in their womb."
is discreetly indicated by the traditional black sash around her inseparability of Mary and Jesus in the story of redemption.
waist By contrast, in Galician art, Mary is obviously several Again, it’s folk art proclaiming a very deep theology: Mary is
months pregnant. She is clearly in direct contact with her son a mother with mothers – and other mothers can identify with
in a way that every mother can recognise. She is a mother with her as they share, not only the joys, but also the sufferings of
mothers. their children. Both the images of the pregnant Mary and of her
Yet Galicia also makes another astounding declaration of faith presence on the crucieros are a declaration, “Look! I’m here for
which links Mary inseparably to Jesus. There are more than you because I’ve already been there. You and I share a similar
twelve thousand crucieros throughout the province, many of experience.”
them dating back to the thirteenth century. From a distance, Erected in public places, the crucieros are not only a focus
these are double-sided stone crosses rising above a base of three of religious belief, but also for the local community. They are
steps. On closer examination, the front is a standard crucifix. meeting places and their steps also offer a convenient seat to the
The back, however, shows Mary, not Jesus. weary. The cross is within the community.
It is logical if you think of what it means to be a mother. Yes. Also common in Galicia, but an image which was very
Mary stood at the foot of the cross. However, she was more acceptable to the hierarchy, is one that happily describes Mary
than an observer. As a mother, Mary felt every moment of Jesus’ as the “Seat of Wisdom”. Dressed in imperial robes, she sits on a
agony. In a very real sense, as Jesus was crucified, so was she even throne and is herself the throne for Jesus, who sits on her knee,
if she was not physically nailed to a cross. often holding a scroll of paper. Take out the high theology for a
The crucieros are, therefore, a unique way of showing the moment and Mary is a mother with her child sitting happily and
comfortably on her knee. Again, it’s a very human image and
perhaps one that was real before the theologians started work.
Perhaps that is why artists have never limited themselves to
theological tomes and have shown the child Jesus on Mary’s knee
and playing with a piece of fruit, a bird or otherwise distracted.
Mother and son are physically and lovingly inseparable.
As we look towards Advent and Christmas, we celebrate the
courage of a young woman who was prepared to accept all that
it meant to be Jesus’ mother. There were the joyful moments
when she alone felt him moving inside her, the secret moments
of blessing and contentment of motherhood-to-be. There would
be Calvary, but Advent is about expectation and hope. Jesus
One of more than 12,000 double-sided crucieros or stone blesses us through Mary’s hands – and can’t we all think of times
crosses in Galicia which feature a standard crucifix with a when our mother’s touch has carried a special meaning? Mary is
carving of Mary on the reverse side. a mother with mothers.
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