At Christmas we picture Mary and Joseph next to the manger or gently holding the baby Jesus. And a beautiful picture it is. Two righteous people, Mary and Joseph, trusting and obedient and willing to believe God even when unbelievable things were happening to them.
This week Gordon MacDonald ponders Mary's parental influence on Jesus, not just during his infancy but throughout his upbringing. What Kind of Mother Was Mary? While Scripture doesn't give a detailed description, what it does reveal is significant, and what we do know for sure is this: Jesus bore a distinct resemblance to his mom.
Ave Maria! Maiden mild Oh listen to a maiden's prayer For thou canst hear amid the wild 'Tis thou 'tis thou canst save amid despair We slumber safely till the morrow Though we've by man outcast reviled Oh Maiden see a maiden's sorrow Oh Mother hear a suppliant child Ave Maria
Ave Maria gratia plena Maria gratia plena Maria gratia plena Ave ave dominus Dominus tecum
The murky cavern's air so heavy Shall breathe of balm if thou hast smiled Oh Maiden hear a maiden pleadin' Oh Mother hear a suppliant child Ave Maria Ave Maria