If I could paint my own picture of Mary, what would it look like? well, I think I'd give her beautiful dark eyes... the kind that look both warm and sparkling at the same time. She would have dark curly hair and she would look intelligent. She would be physically strong, but more importantly she would be strong on the inside... it is IMPOSSIBLE to conjure the beauty and power of any one.. what would it have been like to hang out with Mary? What makes Mary, Mary? Why do we ask her to pray for us? There are so many ways to "mother" so what would I sense from her? What's the lore about Mary? She's aggravated with Jesus when he stays behind in Jerusalem and they lose him. She "holds these things in her heart." She's greeted by the angel Gabriel, has a baby in a stable, probably had more children because we hear about Jesus' brothers and sisters. She stood at the foot of the cross. The thing about women is that you can't see what's going on with them!! The very thing that do exclusively they do invisibly. Men can't do what they do... so, I am flummoxed. Who is Mary? The one who welcomed and loved a boy unconditionally. (you know, she could have been a really bad mother cuz lots of people grow up and exceed the parenting they received.) Let's assume the best. She is celebrated as the mother of Jesus and mother of us all because she "gave up" her son for the world... to show us the way to joy and peace. I picture her smiling, that tired smile a mother has after the baby has been born. (Nativity, Woonbo Kim Ki-chang, (1914-2001). Korean.)
2 comments:
From my perspective, another important Mary story is the wedding feast at Cana where Mary calls forth Jesus to be who he is in the world.
When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ (John 2:3-2:5)
As is often the case it is the woman who sees most clearly who the man is.
Katie, sometimes I can't read your blogs - they make me cry.
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