God must have also thought that Mary was an amazing woman. Of all the women in the world over the centuries, He gave Mary the task of being the mother of Jesus. I'm not sure we really appreciate what an amazing woman she must have been. I was sitting contemplating Mary and wondering that. What was Mary like? Loving? Compassionate? Funny? But I know lots of people like that. Why was she so special? We are taught she was without sin. That had to be interesting right? But . . . why Mary? And then I started to think.
I have been a catechist for teenagers for over ten years now. I've helped teach hundreds of teens and I really enjoy it. I also have a daughter who is a sophomore and a niece who is a junior in high school. This all means that I have been around a whole lot of teens in my life. Have you ever walked around a high school filled with a bunch of teens?? I think they can be compared to aliens. They are a unique bunch. Remember the bus scenes in great teen age like "Sixteen Candles" or "Ferris Bueler's Day Off." Teen agers are goofy! I love being involved in youth ministry. I love teaching teens. But. . . they are goofy. Maybe that's why I enjoy it because I'm pretty goofy myself.
Now think of this. Bible scholars think Mary was about 15 or 16 years old when she gave birth to Jesus. Mary was the same age as my daughter. Now I love my daughter. I'm not biased at all and I feel it's safe to say that my daughter, Emma, is one of the smartest, prettiest girls, funniest girls alive on the face of the Earth. I trust her to babysit. But to be made the Mother of God? Oh heck no! No way, I would trust her to hold God in her arms and to raise Him. It would seems like some sort of weird sit-com. And that's my daughter, who I love and adore and think the world of.
But two thousand years ago, a little girl, the same age as Emma, was picked by God to be the God Bearer. She was asked to bring God incarnate into the world. And to raise Him. To feed him. To change His diapers. To teach Him. This scared little girl--was asked to flee into another land in order to keep her son safe. And chose to do so. She chose to stay by His side when His friends didn't. She was at the foot of the cross when her son was persecuted and died.
It was through Mary that Jesus entered the world. Jesus entered the world through Mary and He saved us. Yeah. She must have been an amazing woman. I wish I had a devotion to Mary. I wished I honored her like I should. What about you? Do you have a devotion to her?
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I pray the rosary...not as faithfully as I should, but I do.
ReplyDeleteAs for teenagers, it is kind of interesting in our day and age to think of one being the mother of God, I agree. But I have to say, it gives me hope and comfort knowing God chose Mary as a teenager. It gives me hope because I believe God knows that teenagers have the tools and the maturity available...we need only require that they use these abilities.
My first inclination is to say, "yeah but Mary was not marred by sin" and that is true. A lot of people say, when they do sinful things, "Hey, I am only human" but actually I think if is the opposite. I believe being human was never designed to be a sinful state. God wanted us all to be conceived...like Mary, clean from the stain of sin...but The Fall took care of that. So Mary us something to aspire to...for us to become MORE human we must live a life avoiding sin. Due to our concupiscience this is s monumental task however.
Good post...I think you may have inspired something for me, here...we will see if I can formulate a coherent post of my own on this.
I have struggled with a devotion to Mary. I still don't have one like I would like, but I respect her a lot more than I did. I used to mostly ignore her.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have daughters and my youngest is 16. To think she is the same age as Mary was when God choose her to be the mother of Christ. Wow!! I pray the rosary mostly every morning and I try to picture Mary during different stages in her life. Your post today is worth pondering over. Thank you.
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I will devote honest heartfelt prayers to Mary, her infinite belief in what god stood for...even through the pain she must have felt watching him suffer and die...but never hating or wanting revenge on those who did it....she is indeed blessed.
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