Blessed Art Thou among Women

Two of the people in my world (well, that I know. One is my sister who is IN my world & the other is my ex husband whom I KNOW) caused me to meditate on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, as well as controversial to some Christians. That is the Church's teaching on The Holy Mother and her role in our salvation. The former is starting RCIA this fall, while the latter believes in Catholic teaching and is also exploring conversion.

My sister admitted that she is having a difficult time with "Mary" and I remember my dear, African Methodist Episcopal mother saying that, "...Mary is just a woman like you and I". That satisfied my sister, but I always felt that it just couldn't be true. I knew that I was not worthy of bearing the Infant Christ and I also knew that she hadn't given birth to Him (I am in part evidence to that fact). Maybe it's providence, or maybe it is because I was born on the day the Church celebrates her immaculate birth. And while my father, in his country raised mentality, God love him, wanted to give me the middle name "May".  My mother in her east coast good taste changed it to "Marie". Early into my middle ages, I developed a deep love for St. Marie Euphrasia and her Eudist charism. Providence?

It was very easy for me to come to give my heart to her Immaculate one.  There are other times in my life where I clearly see her as my spiritual director, as many of us do. But in a nut shell, I just believe. Unfortunately, not living a childhood having that devotion nurtured, I am not always the best Marian apologist, but I do try. I have spoken of Genesis 1:15. I also pointed to her Old Testament prophesy as she is the human Arc of the Covenant. All this to no avail. I guess I need to brush up on my Scott Hahn.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, my ex had the opportunity to watch Mother Angelica and her sisters pray the Rosary. He said that what he kept hearing was the part of the prayer where it says, "Blessed art thou among women" and his mind focused on it in meditation. He said that now, he understood my devotion, moreover he saw that he needed to look at the way he treats all women. If she is a role model for Christian womanhood, he is realizing the conscious effort he needs to make and treat not just her with respect, but all women. I noticed a rare moment of insight and clarity, that I normally don't pick up with this individual. I don't mean to lack charity, but it is true.

So, I took that thought to its next logical conclusion. Christ is our Brother, because God is His and Our Father. So Mary, the mother of God, that makes God her Divine Spouse. Right there she at the very least deserves respect, at a minimum. But then, I also remembered a conversation with a friend. She was talking about a conversation with a young man who happened to be Jewish, just like Mary. In ancient Hebrew law, kingship was passed on through the mother, the only one to have the king's ear. But that was the "aha" piece of fact. That was when this friend disclosed another "factoid": Jewish men must pray and observe Jewish prayer and worship tradition everyday, not just on the Sabbath. Women, on the other hand, do not. That isn't to say that mothers aren't still responsible for passing the faith on to the next generation, nor that they aren't responsible for observing Jewish laws. The reason for this "dispensation" is that women are given the gift, the honor of actually bearing children. Therefore, she deserves a special place in people's heart. There, now we can say it, "AHA!!!"

Mary is not a role model of a "submissive, quiet woman" like old time feminists used to say. Not at all. Rather (or better) her place in the order of things makes her motherhood, being the mother of God's Only Begotten Son, is what gives her a natural place of importance in Christianity. No, you aren't obligated to pray to her or ask for her prayers, but she is 100% about bringing us to Her Divine Son. He is the most important person in our faith. She delivers him to us daily. She isn't offended if one doesn't wish to ask for her assistance. No, because Jesus is the reason we have hope. Jesus is the role model for all of humanity. Jesus is Love.

It's that simple.

Life in this World Wide Web

Who says no good comes from cyberspace? Everyday, we read and hear the stories. A young man has taken his life after being bullied online on social networks. Nigerian fraud is so prolific, we make jokes about it. And, then there are the people who are murdered and the victims were unlucky enough to fall into a trap set in the classifieds. When I think over the almost 15 years I have been in the cyber world, I believe I have been truly blessed. Yes, there is so much negativity to be found there, but that is because there is evil in the world. If you seek the devil, you will find him no matter where you roam. But if it's God you seek, you will find him there in abundance.

I have friends, long time friends, that I have met on Yahoo! email groups. I've received support to get through my illness and my daughters' no less from these friends, in some ways more, than I gathered from people I see face to face on a regular basis. Most of the encouragement I have gleaned from online relationships has been not only just what I needed, it has kept feeding fuel to the fire that is my love for Jesus. I wouldn't be many of the things I am if not for "this machine". Media has always been the driving force shaping society. Ancient peoples painted and marked walls of their caves. God blazed the Ten Commandments on stone tablets. The Vatican Library contains volumes of ancient writings, original writings from King Henry VIII, writing love letters to Ann Boleyn. Villages had the town crier, then postal networks, books and newspapers. Now, we have Scott Pelley or Katie Couric. I know my grown daughters still believe that I was alive when Abraham Lincoln was president, but they take lightly the fact that when I was a little girl, there wasn't a TV in every home. That is just inconceivable in their minds. I do remember having many a teacher preach against the evils of television. Even though it connected the world in a way that people couldn't yet grasp, the same naysayers who warned the world about Satan invading homes via the tube have offspring, warning us of the same evils on the net.

I understand their misgivings, I really do. I am equally so repulsed by the deviant behaviors that seem to slither through the digital device that gives me this forum. Still, seek and you shall find. It has served as the alarm for me to minister to the world who is loosing its crown jewel: Life. The family is suffering. The vocation of marriage is suffering. Children, unborn and birthed, are suffering. Everything that has made human life beautiful is being destroyed on a global scale and bad times seem to be coming a warp speed. So much strife, so much malevolent behavior paving the road to perdition.

Then, I find (on Facebook, the ubiquitous social network) this website. It is simple, but absolutely beautiful IN its simplicity. I have spent hours penning the facts about the charism of the Oblate Sisters of Mary Magdalene, and the creators of this page give few words and a few images to say it quite completely. And sweetly:
http://www.jesus-loves-you.org/?p=439