All because Mom decided to show a little tenderness this go-around… (not normal, I’m ashamed to admit)

I peeked in the art room at the painting I had been working on for the past few months. A painting I had started after being inspired by the icon, “Our Lady of Tenderness.”

This is what Mary does for us… I thought.

When, in our humanity, we are like three-year-old’s, so caught up in our own suffering that we can’t see straight let alone pray straight, what does Mary do?

She tenderly picks us up and carries us straight to Our Lord. And in doing so, He is “magnified” in our own hearts.

Cranky toddlers may eventually calm down without a parent’s tenderness, but how much quicker they find peace when a mother is nearby with two arms ready to embrace!

So it is with Mary. Like a good mother, she wipes away our tears so our blurry eyes can better see Christ.

Just like a mother who tenderly embraces her children in their saddest moments and speaks to them of Christ’s love—to remind them that God is much bigger than their own hurt—so does Our Mother seek only to make Christ “bigger” in our own lives.

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

In this painting, we see both Christ and Mary gazing at us in invitation. An invitation from Christ to take His mother as our own. An invitation from Mary to be embraced like Christ.

Lord knows I needed this reminder to imitate the Christ Child and cling to Mary. And, simultaneously, embrace my own children tenderly.

As I said, there is MUCH symbolism in this painting. I hope to share more about this painting in the near future.

**Disclaimer: I try very hard to make sure the content of my emails align with Church teaching…but I am still human and fallible (and may need occasional help from my brothers and sisters in Christ!) If you read something in one of my emails that does not align with Church teaching, please let me know! Likewise, when in doubt, seek out more information and contact your parish priest.