Part of the Mary Moment Monday series

You probably don’t think of Mary as being Pentecostal, do you? For me, the word Pentecostal evokes images that are partly hilarious and partly ridiculous. They are a caricature, based on my own wrong assumptions.

When I read about the first Pentecost in Acts (starting in chapter 1, continuing to yesterday’s reading in chapter 2), there’s a lesson or two for me. Prayer is the foundation for everything. They don’t know what’s coming; they don’t know what to expect; they’re afraid. Instead of whining and worrying, they gather together and PRAY.

Mary’s there with them, and that’s another point for me. In her mind, there was no option, I’m sure. They needed her. She had faith, unwavering and strong enough for all of them. She had complete trust in God. She was the perfect person to be with them.

I’ve seen many of the mothers in my life respond to their children when their children need them, whether those children are five or 50. Mary continues to respond to her children, all of us. Whether we gasp out a Hail Mary on our way to the hospital or lie in our beds with tears, pondering uncertain futures, she’s there, asking God to help us, give us strength, give us faith. Whether it’s an overload of laundry or an overload of stress, she points us to God, every single time. She shows us, through her unhesitating reliance on God, that we have nothing to fear.

Nothing to fear.

That’s a lesson I need.

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I find myself turning to Mary quite a bit in my role as mother. What I have found, when I look to her Pentecost example, is a series of lessons that inspire me to seek her Son in every moment of my day.

Mary is one of my models and heroes as I examine my vocation, and in “Mary at Pentecost: Finding My Vocation in Her Example” at Faith & Family Live I share some of the lessons I’ve gleaned from her. Hope you enjoy it!