Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . the “end” of her story, at least as far as the corporeal world goes. This event — along with today’s readings— have led me to reflect on Mary’s life and outlook.
I’m sure you’ve heard the typical reflection on Mary, either on this very blog (quite possibly even from me!), at a homily, or in other Catholic literature. She was a humble servant, ready to do God’s will, trusting in the Lord, devoted mother and wife, and so on.
All of that is absolutely true! And all of that can serve as useful inspiration for our own lives as we live the Faith. But there’s another aspect of Mary that spoke to me today as I considered her story. Namely, that she had a personality.
She had wants and needs. She had opinions. She had an outlook. And she wasn’t afraid to express them.
We get a glimpse of this today when she visits her cousin Elizabeth (herself pregnant with John the Baptist). I think it’s pretty clear that she was visiting her family because she wanted to be there; I find it hard to believe that she’d stay there for three months if she didn’t enjoy spending time with them.
Looking elsewhere in Mary’s story, we see more signs of her own insight. Earlier in this chapter of the Gospel of Luke, when Gabriel informs her that she’s to be with child, her first reaction is to say, “How can this be, since I have had no relations with a man?” Her immediate reaction is basically, “Ummm . . . I have questions?” Mary’s no dummy! She knows where babies come from. It’s a very human moment.
Or consider the Wedding at Cana. Here, Mary was in attendance, as was Jesus (before his ministry began in earnest). Mary informs Jesus that the wedding is out of wine. Jesus replies, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” Mary’s immediate reply is to turn to the servants and say, “Do whatever he tells you.” She knows he has the power to fix this issue, and has such utmost confidence and force of personality that she doesn’t even consult with her son; she just starts talking to the servants, basically implying he’ll solve this problem (which, of course, he does). Really, you could use this moment for a comedy movie scene with very little tweaking of the dialogue.
Looking elsewhere, Matthew 12:46-47 tells about how Mary wanted to speak with Jesus, only to be mildly rebuffed by him: “‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said: ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.'” While there’s certainly wisdom to be gleaned from Christ’s words here, I note that the catalyst for this story is Mary’s desire to spend some time with her son. Again, this isn’t the selfless desires of someone who has scrubbed away every aspect of her personality, but the perfectly natural and human desire of most mothers of adult children.
So what’s the point of all this? Why do I think it’s worth reflecting on this aspect of Mary’s life, today — arguably the culmination of her story?
Well, one thing I’ve seen people struggle with when they come into the faith is, what does it mean to follow God? There’s this vision held by some that true Christians must be humorless, flavorless, and totally selfless in all ways. Yes, it’s true that the path of righteousness ideally requires us to shed many bad habits in pursuit of the Light. But, I would argue, you can follow Christ — with your whole heart and soul — and still have a personality. Much of what Jesus teaches is to go to God with our fears, our hopes, our dreams, our wants, our needs. And that wouldn’t make sense if the only “permissible” wants and needs were, “Gee, I’m wondering how I can feed more hungry people,” or if the only “permissible” fears were of the variety, “I worry that I’m not doing enough to comfort the downtrodden.”
Mary had curiosity and wasn’t afraid to ask questions. She enjoyed spending time with her family. She knew what was helpful for a good time at a wedding! None of these are shortcomings, but rather a sign of her being . . . well, human.
Yes, “holy is her name through all generations.” But this holiness didn’t come with denying everything that makes her her. Rather, it came with staying true to her faith and ideals (and devoid of sin), while at the same time understanding that she could have her own personality.
Let us then, take inspiration from Mary’s holiness and devotion, by all means. But let us also take inspiration from her humanity. Even if you’re a fan of baseball, or enjoy telling jokes, or appreciate a delicious meal, you can still strive to be a saint.
