The Saint Joseph Family Meditates on Women in the Bible

Mary mother of Jesus
Our history with God is always one of love…a covenant…whether it be in the Old Testament, the New Testament, or in the history of each of our lives. One woman among all is offered to us as model. Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, loving above all…! Mary, at once mother and spouse: mother of Jesus “soul and spouse” by her passion of incredible love. At the last meeting of December 11, we were invited to comtemplate the silence or the «silences» of Mary. In fact, Mary did not speak much, but the «Word» lived in her silence.

The silence
Inspired by «those silences» of Mary presented by Sister Marie-Claire Dupont, I drew my personal story:

When one is in love, the heart is focused on the other and our love life is also filled with «silences».

There is the silence that waits for the other, the silence that empties the heart completely to free all space for the other, which empties the heart of all that is not the other, the silence which deepens in oneself a space for the other : the depth of silence.

There is also the silence that shares with the other, that holds the other close, that embraces the other. Also the silence that listens to the other, that hears the other’s love, savours that love : the totality of silence.

There is a silent rise of the incredible: love for another makes oneself the most important person. Love increases and no words can express the aroused enchantment: the suspense of silence

There are silences filled with the other person, silences bearing the other even in the midst of the most humdrum day. Silences that await another meeting while savouring the last one. It is a silence that coddles one’s love as a bird sits on its eggs, holding them warmly close, waiting for the novelty to emerge: maybe a child, the fruit of their love: expectancy of silence.

And when, for my soul, the other is God…! Then my life is filled with those silences
and I can contemplate Mary, model of interior life, she who welcomed the unexpected in her life.

And Mary Magdelene…like Mary…, both had good news to convey to the «People» of God. Could it be that I also would have good news to convey to those who are close to me? To the Church of the 21st century?


Nicole Céré, wife, mother, grandmother, and sjsh associate