I’ve been reading Robert Barron’s new book, The Priority of Christ: Toward a Postliberal Catholicism (click for Amazon description). I highly recommend the book. I just got through reading the fourth chapter and in it is one of the most beautiful descriptions of Mary.
Father Barron (a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago and professor of systematic theology) examines the meaning of the biblical narrative of The Wedding at Cana. Here’s the story:
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” (And) Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
Barron looks at the different symbols employed by John who uses the story as the first of Jesus’ public signs. I was struck by the symbolism and rich meaning of this story which Barron well articulates. Mary of course figures significantly in this story. I’ve heard, taught, prayed with, and encountered many images of Mary in my life. But something about Barron’s description of the symbolism of Mary in this story has just stayed with me. I’ll explore this a little more in future posts. For now, I must hustle to get to the Press so I’ll leave you with this question:
Who is Mary for you?
"She wrote the way she lived: on the fly, without retrospect, always on the way, climbing higher."
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Jen 11.08.07 at 11:50 pm
Hm. This is a hard question to answer. I didn’t really connect with her, since my family tends to gravitate towards the saccharine pietistic images of her. I think I didn’t really connect until I saw a reproduction of Our Lady of Guadalupe. For some reason I could understand her as Mary as contemplative, how the Trappists view her.
Sister Julie 11.08.07 at 11:59 pm
I know … I had to think about it too because there’s the Mary I grew up with — she felt otherworldly, untouchable and frozen in her statue-esque form. And then there’s the Mary I’ve gotten to know since I was in my early 20s — a Mary who certainly is special but who also is this-worldly because she aligns herself with the people, just like with Our Lady of Guadalupe. I’ll write more on this in my next post … Cheers, Jen! Sister J
Another Sister Julie, CSSF 11.09.07 at 12:46 am
Many years ago, I liked how Carlo Carretto made Mary so real in “Blessed Are You Who Believed.” It stressed her humanity, her simplicity and her trust in God. It made me think of Mary every time I pick up a broom!
Recently, I found the video series Footprints of God: Mary, Mother of God. The exuberant narrator looks at Mary in history, in society, in anthropology, etc. as well as in theology. He explains many of Mary’s titles in clear and simple language. It looks a bit like a travelogue as he visits the holy sites where Mary lived . I have used it with a couple of adult groups and they found it very helpful.
http://www.videoswithvalues.org/education/marymotherofgod.html
As far a images of Mary go, I am drawn to those that show her as a real woman as opposed to a beauty queen. One of my favorite images is found at Holy Rosary Church in Albuquerque, NM. The artist carved a life-sized statue of Mary out of wood, depicting her as an older woman who has obviously worked hard with her hands all her life. They are large and strong, yet they are also ready to caress and console. Beautiful!
http://www.norbertinecommunity.org/holy_rosary_catholic_community.htm
Sister Julie 11.09.07 at 8:21 am
Greetings, Sister Julie, CSSF! There is an image of an older Mary in a church outside of Chicago — Saint Elizabeth Seton in Orland Park. The statue of Mary is life-size or a little larger and has Mary sitting with her arms outstretched. I’ve seen little children go up to the statue and sit in Mary’s lap. Sister Julie, IHM
Gayle OSF 11.09.07 at 9:28 am
I’ve seen the one in Orland Park. I think it’s Mary Seat of Wisdom or something similar. My novice director pointed it out to me since it is so different. It’s been added to my mental file of Marian images. Thanks for mentioning it!
deerose 11.09.07 at 10:08 pm
My favorite portrayals of Mary are those in numerous paintings depicting “The Annunciation.” There is just something so power about her submission to God. I really connect to that. It is beautiful.
deerose