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The Agency of Mary: An Advent Reflection
Growing up in a small-town evangelical church, I never heard a whole lot about Mary, mother of Jesus, except around Christmas (or when someone was ranting against “those Catholics”). Yet, as became an adult I began to realize how widely and deeply she was revered around the world and across traditions (and even religions). With vast collections of art and tome of theology created in her honour, she is arguably one of the most influential women figures in religious history.
And with good reason! After all, we’re told that this brave young woman (likely no more than a teenager) was chosen to be the vessel in which the God-made-flesh was conceived. It was from the body of Mary that the body of Christ was birthed into the world. The immortal words of the “Hail Mary” seem only fitting: blessed is she among women- among all people!
Yet, as I considered her story, I realized that I had been missing something important. Let’s look again. As the story goes, an angel of God appeared to this clearly mature and devout teenager, saying:
“Greetings, you are favoured so highly! The Lord is with you.” Mary, clearly freaked out by this visit and what it might mean, is immediately afraid, so the angel tries to comfort her, “Wait, don’t freak out, Mary. God is super pleased with you. So, pleased, in fact, that you are going to become pregnant…