16 ENQUIRY A Catholic view of Mary Mary: God’sradicaldaughter Mary:

Approaching the Topic Mary. is tocallher by herfirst name: simplest way tospeakof her the titles, but by many such awoman. Sheiscalled The Catholic community has her. asifyouknow you. Youfeel who did.She ispresent to passed onto you bythose but hermemory hasbeen member when she was alive, never knew thisfamily significance. Perhaps you ofgreatsomething Or maybeshesaidordid between conflictingmembers. differencesbridge the presence. She isable to woman offersaunifying striking way? Perhaps this who embodies itsvalues in a rest ofthefamily?Someone who sets an exampleforthe who stands out?Awoman particular womanIs therea memories, past and present. heritage. Recall thefaces and family your Think back over describe Mary as‘first among the wesometimes reason, Forthis Christ. Gospel, theGoodNews ofJesus receive the became thefirstperson to With theconception ofJesus, Mary 1.28-38) done tomeas you havesaid.’ (Luke ‘I amtheservantof the Lord,letitbe inspired generations ofChristians. mysterious plan, isonewhich has response, open andtrusting toGod’s God, theangel reminds her. Mary’s pregnant. Nothingis impossible to six is months already Elizabeth, given asign: her aged cousin, is Mary message, this Accompanying God (Luke 1.35) child tobeborn will be called Sonof overshadow you; therefore, theholy and thepower oftheMostHighwill The Holy Spiritwillcome uponyou, angel replies: possible since sheis a virgin. The God. Mary asks how this canbe child whoistobecalledtheSonof reveals toherthatsheis tobeara angel, whoreceives the visitofan According tothis Gospel, Mary (Luke 1.26-38). of her call in Luke’s account ofthe dramatic leap. Youcan read the story that God’s call onher lifetooka betrothal toJoseph. Itwasatthistime of herlifethatismentioned is her event town Thefirst called Nazareth. ‘back-of-Bourke’came from a little The gospel story tellsus thatMary The Annunciation story Mary inthescripture lifeofGod’speople. of Maryinthe tradition affirming thesignificance arichhave ledto the years and reflections oftheChurchover ongoingexperiences the However, record onlyalittleabout herlife. scriptures know ofMary?The story ofChristianity.What dowe because of her unique place inthe more thanallthe other saints honour herandseek influence of thecommunionsaints,butwe is themother ofJesus. She ispart Who isMary? ToCatholics, Mary

Mary

words from an ancient Jewish song: ‘My soul proclaims the Stories greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my saviour. He has looked upon his servant in How does Mary’s story connect her lowliness, and people with contemporary life? Here is forever will call me blessed. what some people have said: The Mighty One has done great things for me…’ (Luke 1.46-49) Luke 1.38… Let’s go! Mary’s story reminds us of the ‘When I hear Mary’s words “I am powerful way God’s Spirit the handmaid of the Lord, let what moves among ordinary people, you have said be done to me”, I ‘little’ people; for in a worldly don’t hear a meek and passive lady sense she was not a person of wrapped up in cotton wool. Instead any notoriety or fame but a I hear a passionate young woman simple Jewish girl; and such are full of zest for life crying out, “Yes! the ways of the world that the Let’s go! Let’s get this show on the poor have no history. It is road…whatever the cost. If you’re precisely in the face of this willing, so am I.”’ (Tony) faithful’. Through her acceptance of paradox that the Church honours her the angel’s message, God became with titles such as ‘Queen of present to us in human form. Mary’s Heaven’. God’s ways are not our Our God of surprises pregnancy draws contemporary ways. Greatness in God’s eyes ‘The story of the angel’s Catholics to contemplate the fact comes not from wealth and power, announcement impresses upon me that the Gospel is more than simply but from self-giving love. We honour how God can unexpectedly break assenting to a message, a principle Mary’s greatness because of the into our lives, capsizing our flimsy or a just cause; it is about welcoming way she gave over her life to God’s plans. You never know what’s a person, , and uniting with plan. Today, Mary’s song of praise around the corner! Sometimes God him in the core of our beings. (the ) inspires who find themselves dispossessed speaks to me through a book, a The Visitation of the economic or political power picture, an unexpected visitor, a that is rightfully theirs, especially in news item. God’s most surprising Upon receiving this extraordinary gift to me has been the gift of Peter. news, the gospel tells us that Mary countries where the Church suffers political oppression. In January I met him for the first set out to share it with her cousin, time. Six months later we were Elizabeth. The visitation is a The birth of Jesus engaged to be married!’ (Donna) beautiful story of two women rejoicing in God’s marvellous The next time we meet Mary in the blessings upon their lives; two Gospels is at the birth of her son. Guess what?! mothers, each uplifted by the infant We are told that she gave birth to in her womb. You can read it for Jesus in Bethlehem; not in a ‘I can remember a number of yourself in Luke 1.39-56. Their comfortable maternity hospital nor occasions in my life when I was the meeting is a grace-filled moment, full even in a clean room, but in a stable, bearer of life-changing good news: of enthusiasm. Upon seeing her a shelter for animals, since there announcing our engagement to cousin, Elizabeth is filled with the was no room for them at the inn. The friends, breaking the news that our Holy Spirit and feels the baby within first to greet this new-born king were first baby was on her way, ringing her move for joy. She cries out: shepherds from the surrounding my parents when she was born, countryside. Wise men from the east telling the kids that Gran had come ‘You are most blessed among followed. In greeting the child, the through her operation. Such women and blessed is the fruit of visitors recognised the presence of moments can be joyous, anxious. your womb!’ God; the Messiah whose coming Always they demand a response Like Elizabeth, Catholics rejoice at was foretold in the Jewish scriptures. from within. As a mother bearing what God has done through Mary. The virgin birth emphasises this: the Best News of all, Jesus Christ, ‘, full of grace, the Lord is truly, this child is like no other! how much more must Mary have with you…’ is a well-known prayer Although human like us, his origin is felt that mixture of which declares our belief that this divine. His birth points to a reality emotions.’ (Jeanie) woman has been powerfully blessed beyond this created world as we by God. know it. So Mary’s unique role in this to page 3 Mary responds to Elizabeth’s extraordinary story was to be the greeting by praising God, using vehicle through which Christ entered God’s radical daughter the world. Through her we are led to must have been broken in a Jesus. To this day, Catholics suffering beyond belief. John’s approach Mary as a special mediator gospel tells us that, in that of Christ’s presence to us. agonising moment at Calvary, Stories Jesus entrusted Mary and his

Other stories about Mary disciple, John, to one another: The Gospels contain a number of When Jesus saw the Mother, and from page 2 other references to Mary during the the disciples, he said to the Mother, childhood of Jesus which you may like ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then he to read for yourself. We can guess said to the disciple, ‘There is your that, like every mother, Mary worried mother.’ And from that moment the The power of prayer about her son, like the time the family disciple took her to his own home. was forced to flee to Egypt upon (John 19.26-27) ‘At times when my prayer hearing that King Herod was bent channels feel all clogged up with upon destroying the child (Matthew As Catholics, we see ourselves also distractions, fatigue or grief, I find 2.13-23). There must have been as recipients of that mother-child it a great help to pray the joyful situations where parenthood relationship. Like John, we are mysteries of the . The exasperated her, like the time Jesus entrusted to Mary as our mother. “mantra” quality of the repetitive went missing in the Temple after their Like John, we take her into our hearts and make a home for prayers calms my spirit. The her there. images of childhood stories (the angel, mother and baby, the At and Bethlehem stable and so on) slip beyond easily into my heart. I find the simplicity and gentleness of the The next time the Gospels rosary frees my mind and mention Mary is at Pentecost. unclutters my soul.’ (Nicola) When the apostles gathered in the upper room and the Holy Her embrace Spirit came upon them in a powerful way, we are told that ‘The image of Michaelangelo’s Mary was with them. (Acts pieta is a very telling one for me. 1:14) My boyfriend’s sister committed In fact, it is interesting to note suicide, and the heartbreak of that that when one traces Mary’s tragedy continues to affect both appearance in the scriptures, him and our relationship as a she is consistently linked to the couple. Sometimes I feel just so Holy Spirit. So significantly has helpless. Whenever I see a replica God’s power been at work in of the statue I sometimes see that trip to Jerusalem (Luke 2.41-51). She her life that we have come to young woman, sometimes my must have pondered his future with a see in Mary a particular sign of boyfriend, sometimes myself, lying mixture of awe, delight and fear at humanity’s vocation: to receive and crucified in the arms of Mary. I find hearing the prophecies about him. respond to the activity of God’s it comforting to know that for Mary She must have pondered and feared, Spirit. We get a sense of this in the too there was a time of “no too, as she glimpsed the reality of her last book of the bible (the book of solutions”.’ (Karen) own future: a sword would pierce her Revelation) where the author points heart. Along with the privilege of her to Mary’s destiny beyond history. In To Jesus through Mary call, much suffering would be hers chapter 12 she is called woman (Luke 2.22-39) (Rev 12.4,6), which is a biblical way ‘Sometimes I find it difficult to face of comparing her to Eve, the Jesus in prayer. I might be feeling At the foot of the cross original woman in the book of angry at him. Or apathetic. At Genesis. Whereas Eve represents times like this I find it easier to go What mothers hasn’t experienced the humanity’s fall into sin, Mary to Mary and talk to her. She suffering of seeing her child in pain? witnesses to a life lived in the grace tenderises me. She helps unblock Whether it be through illness, of Christ. She is seen as the the hardness in my heart. She accident, a broken romance or taunts personification of the Church, a sign opens up the door I have in the school playground, a mother’s of the salvation offered to the world slammed in the face of her Son heart aches at her helplessness in through the transforming power of and leads me to him.’ (Arthur) such moments. The gospels tell us God’s Spirit. that Mary stood at the foot of the cross while her son died the slow, painful death of crucifixion. Her heart Mary

A woman for all seasons

As Australians we live in an era thing: it is no accident that God Your Story which is becoming more and more chose to be revealed through the sensitised to the contribution of womb of a woman. We are led to woman. As Catholics, too, we ponder and question the • Read the Gospel story of Mary’s must grapple with issues relating, significance of the feminine in our call in Luke 1.26-38. Then think not just to the place of women in experience of faith. As Catholics back over your own life. our structures and functions, but – we believe that our understanding - What new directions have you more deeply – to the place of ‘the of Mary and our relationship with been given? feminine’ in our consciousness her is essential to our capacity to - How have you said ‘yes’ to a and experience of Christianity, and enter fully into the freedom of the call you have felt in your how that interacts and reciprocates Gospel. Her presence beckons us heart? with ‘the masculine’. While on to explore a uniquely feminine - How have you perceived practical solutions take time to face of Christianity. God’s part in this call? emerge, we can be sure of one • Read the Gospel story of the visitation (Luke 1.39-55). Do you have an ‘Elizabeth’ in your life; a Rejoicing in God’s gift of Mary ‘soul-friend’ to whom you can turn to share what is most important to Marian feast days you?

When a community of people harbour a common value or share a com- • ‘My soul proclaims the greatness mon relationship that is important to them, they feel moved to give expres- of the Lord…’ are the words of sion to this belief in concrete ways. A family birthday celebration is a sim- Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1.46- ple example. Similarly, the Church has a number of Marian ‘feast days’. 55. Who and what do you give Some of these are listed below: praise for? Do you experience God as being faithful to you? Today, The On this day, Catholics often reflect pray Mary’s canticle, conscious of (8 December) upon their own call to say ‘yes’ to the gifts and goodness in your own God’s call on their lives. life. Mary, although fully human, was conceived without sin and re- Mary, Mother of God mained sinless throughout her life. (1 January) This feast draws us to contem- Through her cooperation with the Published by plate, not only Mary’s beginning, Holy Spirit, Mary became mother of CATHOLIC ENQUIRY CENTRE but our own. Ultimately we belong Jesus, the Son of God. On this day 80 Albion St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010. Tel to God. God’s love claims Mary’s we often reflect upon the fact that (02) 9211 7416. Address correspondence entire existence. We, too, seek to because of our relationship with to: PO Box 287, Darlinghurst, NSW. 2010. allow God to envelope our whole Jesus, Mary is our mother also. selves. Mary’s maternity is more than a Copyright: The Australian Episcopal Mary’s Birthday theological concept. Throughout the Conference of the Roman , (8 September) centuries, Catholics everywhere 1994 (ACN 000 665 958) have experienced the life-giving Nihil Obstat: Rev B. Byron, D.D., M.Th. A birthday celebrates the gift of life Imprimatur: + Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, presence of the Spirit through their Archbishop of Sydney and a person’s entry into the hu- relationship with Mary. Date: Sydney, NSW, 29/7/94 man community. By remembering The Assumption The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are a Mary’s birthday we give thanks to declaration that a book or pamphlet is God for the gift of her life. Although (15 August) considered free from doctrinal or moral error. It we do not know the exact date of does not necessarily imply that those who have On this feast we celebrate our belief her birth, the Church has chosen granted them agree with the contents, opinions th that, at the end of her earthly life, or statements expressed. Scripture quotations September 8 to celebrate this Mary was taken up by God in the are from the Christian Community Bible: event. glory of the risen Christ. Mary’s as- Catholic Pastoral Edition © Bernardo Hurrault 1988. Used with the permission of Claretian The Annunciation sumption into heaven is a sign of Publications, Quezon City, Philippines hope that we, too, will be raised to (25 March) The ENQUIRY series is designed as a simple glory with God. We look forward to introduction to the Catholic faith. It is not Through the message of an angel, the day when all creation will be intended to be a detailed catechism nor a Mary discovers that she is to be transformed in God’s love. comprehensive discussion of Catholic doctrine. the mother of Jesus.

Text and design: Teresa Pirola, The Story Source Printer: M. S. Simpson & Sons Pty Ltd, Alexandria, NSW