By ‘Lizzy D’
We can agree that one of the most important roles in Jesus’ life was Mary as his mother and nurturer, but have we considered what this was like for Mary? My religion teacher recently asked a question in class that had me thinking for a bit before I answered. She essentially asked, “What if Jesus was totally divine?”. When I responded, I said that we couldn’t relate to Him. To me, it felt more like a matter of whether we could even imagine ourselves as being like Him, and whether there was such a thing as a Christ-like ideal. It makes me appreciate how significant Mary’s contribution was.
Despite the fact that this is frequently said, I do not feel we should take it for granted that Mary said ‘yes’. Her immediate response is another thing that was said in my religion class that made me ponder. She didn’t hesitate; she didn’t need to think about it. She said ‘yes’ immediately. Why is it so difficult for us to say ‘yes’ these days? In fact, I’m not sure. It could be a dread of the repercussions, our pride, or a fear of ridicule. I feel that most of us overthink what will happen. Even the most basic requests, such as answering a question in class, are difficult for us to accept.
Mary didn’t think twice about doing the Lord’s work, and you’re probably thinking, “Well, I don’t either,” because I attend Holy Mass, sing in the choir, and serve as an alter server. These are all fantastic ways to serve God, but as my sister once remarked, “we can’t think outside the box if we’re within the box,” and serving God does not take place solely within the walls of the church.
Last week, my aunt asked me to help her edit some videos for vocation week. I immediately said ‘yes’ and began to work at it. I hadn’t even considered the amount of work that would have been required of me. Initially, I believed it would be an hour or two, but that rapidly went into a day, which eventually evolved into four days, and I never thought to doubt my ‘yes’. I’m curious if this was the case for Mary. Imagine agreeing to give birth to a son then realising you have to nurture him and overcome numerous hardships, just to witness his crucifixion. Did she reconsider her yes? Was it too late? Did she have regret? After over a month of contemplation to write this piece, I believe my response is straightforward. Simply say ‘yes’ to God. There is no cause for regret. There is no room for rethinking because doing His work is so rewarding and does not confine itself to the walls of the church.
Finally, I’d want to say thank you to Sr Arlene Greenridge, who is not my biological aunt but is my auntie nonetheless, for assisting me in reaching this conclusion while working on the project with her.