In Our Lady's House

I had the blessing of making a pilgrimage to Greece primarily to walk in the footsteps of St. Paul. This pilgrimage also included a stop in Turkey to visit ancient Ephesus where Paul had lived for a few years. No trip to Ephesus would be complete, however, without a visit to the house of Mary, who lived there with the apostle John for a number of years.* There were many blessings throughout our pilgrimage, and it was incredible to be in many places where St. Paul preached. However, going to the house of Our Lady was a singular grace which truly moved me. Her house is relatively small, as anticipated, typical of most houses during the time in which she lived. As we approached the house and entered in, there was a tangible sense of humility and of peace. Keep in mind that were crowds of people at the sites we visited, and this one was no exception. While it was not necessarily chaotic, as we approached and ultimately entered, all of that fell away. Visitors only get a few moments inside, which for me amounted to approximately the duration of an unrushed Hail Mary. Nothing profound transpired, no rush of spiritual insight or energy. Rather, it was peaceful, welcoming, and humble, an experience that was like entering into Our Lady’s heart. 

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​After our time at the house, our group celebrated Mass in the chapel nearby followed by some time to ourselves. My husband and I walked back to Mary’s house, and amazingly, there was not one visitor there and so we were able to re-enter the house, having much more time to pray inside than the first time. Again, there were no overwhelming sensations, just peace and a sense of being welcomed into Mary’s home as if we belonged there as treasured friends. And in this realization was the gift she offered me during our visit. We know Our Lady as our Mother and as Queen of Heaven, but to be welcomed as a friend was a new depth of relationship with her that I had not ever really considered. In the past I have approached Mary with reverence, solemnity, love, and awe at her maternal relationship with me, but after reflecting on this, I realized I have always felt at ease in her presence. Entrance into her house reminded me that this at-homeness is both an element of her motherly love as well as a hallmark of friendship. 

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​In truth, there should be some elements of friendship with family members, though we do not often think of it in this way. Friendship generally entails trust, enjoying similar values, willing what is good for the other, and even a sense of service for the other insofar as we care deeply for them and therefore want to help in any way they might need. Additionally, a friend is someone with whom we enjoy spending time. Therefore, it seems to me that as part of her relationship with us, Mary wants to develop a deeper intimacy in order to teach more about discipleship, to offer insights into mysteries, virtues, and prayer, as well as to empower us against the worldly attacks against disciples of Jesus. To do all this, she desires our growth in love for her Son, Jesus. In short, Mary is always doing what she does best: she always leads us to Jesus.

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​It is important to keep in mind that in Mary we have the perfect model of what it means to be a disciple. In the Gospel of Luke, Mary is revealed as a woman pure of heart and intention, her eyes on God alone. Therefore, when the angel arrived, her heart was already prepared because God already resided within; her ‘Yes’ sprang from profound love. Though she knew she would suffer much, Mary did not know exactly what was to come, but she could respond without reserve because God already had a home in her heart, and thus, subsequently He could be at home within her womb in the person of His Son. Mary's last utterance in Scripture was at the wedding at Cana when she said, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) This message sums up Mary’s entire life, and it is the most important thing we can learn from our dear Mother. (Pope Leo recently pointed out these same words, again reminding us of their importance.) Therefore, we ought to prayerfully ponder them and then heed what she says. Knowing the will of God and then doing what He tells us is the key to holiness. Mary, of all our friends, knows this better than anyone else. 

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​Mother Mary has prepared her house and we are all invited in. I am not speaking (necessarily) of Ephesus, but rather of entering into her presence when she invites us, knowing that we do not have to wait for an invitation before we can enter in. We can run to her at any time of the day or night and she will be waiting for us. But let us not forget that we, in turn, can and should invite her into our home and the deepest place where we reside, that is, into our heart. We can make our hearts into a home for Mary through our prayer, particularly the Rosary, though simply saying “Hail Mary” often and from the heart with love can be enough. Our Mother invites us into the home of her Heart, and in turn, we should make a home for her in ours.

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May we accept the invitation of our Mother Mary to enter into the home of her heart! May we in turn invite Mary into our hearts with the same kind of hospitality and welcome! And may we be hospitable to all those who Mary and Jesus wish for us to invite into the home of our hearts that we may show them the same welcome and friendship! Let us meet in the Hearts of Mary and Jesus! Peace!

                                                                ©Michele L. Catanese

​* Remember that as He was dying on the Cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to the care of John so that she would not suffer the fate of a childless widow, who in that culture would basically be the poorest of the poor: “When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-27) And one more note just to be clear, this house is a reconstruction of Mary's original house.
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Images:
1. My photo; the house of Mary in Ephesus, Turkey.
2. Icon; Andronicus Icon of the Mother of God Consoler of Mothers by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you wish to purchase a copy of this icon you can find it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/andronicus-icon-of-the-mother-of-god-consoler-of-mothers-123-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. My photo; bread and wine, taken in Athens at a wonderful rooftop restaurant overlooking the Acropolis.
4. My photo; ancient wine jug, taken at museum at Domaine Gerovassiliou Vineyard, Thessaloniki. 
5. Painting; Wheatfield and Mountains in the Background (1889) by Vincent van Gogh.
6. My photo; sunset near Delphi, Greece.

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