I've decided that when I read books related to this blog it's not really book "reviews" that I'm writing. more book "reactions." book review implies a different sort of thing than what comes out of my head when I read a book. ok. here we go.
This book. I tried to think of a word to describe it and came up short. I'd say dense, but it's not difficult to read. Just full of a lot of information. She covers Mary, historically, culturally, theologically. I think the book came at an appropriate time in my life, obviously I'm in Mexico and there's a fierce devotion to our lady. I spend my time wondering what IS devotion to Mary. What does it mean? Where does it come from, and how does this devotion relate to my personal readings/studies/experiences of her? so how opportune that one of the books I packed for the summer was about Mary. Unplanned.
I have many thoughts. I won't blog them all. In a book with this much information, I'd be a poor student if I didn't have many thoughts. I'll keep it shortish.
Often in our Church we see Mary as the ideal Christian woman. But what does that mean? Everyone seems to read her a different way. I've never seen her as particularly meek, nor passively obedient the way that she is sometimes portrayed. There's nothing passive about childbirth. And this girl had to know that. It's not like she was raised only by men, no concept of what bearing a child is like. If she was old enough to get married she probably had friends, some of whom were already married and maybe had kids of their own. Take it from me. You don't have to be married to know what goes on during labor and pregnancy. Female friends are chatty about this stuff. And it is definitely not passive. Mary had to know. Pregnancy and childbirth isn't something that's done to you, nor could it have been for her. Seriously, science has shown that when women who are pregnant don't engage with the child, don't nest, don't get that sense of connection with the kid, then there are repercussions in the child, they don't comfort as well etc. So Mary wasn't hopping along with her pregnancy something God had done to her. It was something she had to take part in. She was a participant. So I see Mary at this point, saying yes to God, as an informed intelligent woman. While she may not have fully understood, because who among us could fully understand, she knew what she was getting herself into, she knew the power of her situation, the potential for disaster, the pain and discomfort, and she had trust in God. God's not putting one over on her.
So, Christian women! Educate yourselves! Trust God! Say yes out of a loving heart!
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