Loving Mary as a Protestant
The title of this blog post may sound like something of a contradiction. Ever since I became Episcopalian, I've grown in my devotion to Mary, the mother of God. I grew up in a blended Catholic background - the first 13 years of my life were spent as a Roman Catholic, then for the rest of my teenage years we were Byzantine Catholic - and in both the Eastern and Western Catholic traditions, Mary is highly revered. With titles like "Queen of Heaven", "Immaculate Conception", and "Theotokos (God-bearer)", she was on a pedestal so high that I can understand why people outside the Catholic faith have accused them of worshiping her. Although there is an important distinction in Catholic theology that clearly states she is NOT worshiped as a goddess, but revered as the holiest of human beings, I did grow up with traditions like "May crowning" where a statue of Mary was crowned with flowers and paraded around. In that case she was literally on a pedestal.
It actually wasn't until I began discerning a call to priesthood that I really began to feel a devotion to Mary. For a while, I felt like I was in an odd place, knowing I should revere her but not really knowing what to do with her, because I didn't want to lift her up so high that she was completely untouchable. But the more time I've spent meditating on her, in the passages in which she appears in Scripture, I've come to realize what an amazing model of ministry she is. I've already blogged a bit about how I meditated on the Annunciation while on retreat last year (in front of the statue pictured above). It wasn't until I realized how much I could relate to her that I really began to love her.
The thing is, I kind of had my own Annunciation moment. I experienced a time when I was asked (interiorly) if I would be willing to go on this journey. I had been experiencing some turmoil in my life and had asked God to show me a way through, to show me what I was supposed to be, and this was my answer. I said yes. But later on, as I experienced doubts about whether this was the right path, I found myself thinking more and more about how Mary "pondered these things in her heart". I wondered if she too said yes before thinking too much about it, and what she might have been feeling when she did that pondering.
Meister Eckhart once said “We are all meant to be mothers of God...for God is always needing to be born.” The more I've embraced what I feel is my calling, the more I've felt that being a priest would be my way of birthing God into the world, bringing the light of Christ to the darkness. One of my favorite icons of the Theotokos is Our Lady of the Sign, which in my mind symbolizes Mary as a priestly figure:
She has her hands in the outstretched gesture of prayer that was commonly used by ancient Christians, and is still used today when the priest consecrates the Eucharist. The "sign" is the figure of Christ in a circle in front of her, symbolizing the moment she conceived and fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah that (according to Matthew) was about the messiah. Christ is the light inside of her that she shares with the world. Icons of the Madonna often show her holding the baby Jesus and gesturing towards him, as if to say "he's the important one, look to him." She always points the way to Christ.
No post about loving Mary would be complete without referencing the Magnificat. It's the longest speech Mary has in scripture, and it's thought to have been an ancient hymn that Luke added to his gospel. In it, she joyfully praises a God who lifts up the lowly and sends away those who already have more than enough. She and her people have lived under occupation and oppression for centuries and she sees that now, through her, God will deliver them. Her prayer is a reflection of what Jesus teaches, especially in Luke's gospel.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name... He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ~ Luke 1:49-53 NRSV
Mary praises the God that I have faith in, a God who will lift up those who have been knocked down by this world. In God's kingdom, we are all on the same level. No one is greater than another. We are all loved by God, and there is no need for titles and riches and hoarding of treasure. What we receive from God and share with each other is all we will need. Mary refers to "the lowliness of his servant", i.e. herself, and this reminds me of something that I find fascinating about her appearances at places like Guadalupe and Fatima. She always has appeared to people who are the lowest in society, like children, or in the case of Juan Diego, an indigenous peasant. She doesn't appear to the bishops or royalty, but to the lowly. And she sends them to the powerful and demands they be listened to.
The image that I have of Mary now is so different from the immaculate porcelain image I grew up with. Now I see her as a strong woman, full of the love of God and ready to do his will, with a special affection for those who are small in the eyes of society. I see her as a model of the kind of person I hope to be.
O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen ~ Collect of the Day: The Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ
It actually wasn't until I began discerning a call to priesthood that I really began to feel a devotion to Mary. For a while, I felt like I was in an odd place, knowing I should revere her but not really knowing what to do with her, because I didn't want to lift her up so high that she was completely untouchable. But the more time I've spent meditating on her, in the passages in which she appears in Scripture, I've come to realize what an amazing model of ministry she is. I've already blogged a bit about how I meditated on the Annunciation while on retreat last year (in front of the statue pictured above). It wasn't until I realized how much I could relate to her that I really began to love her.
The thing is, I kind of had my own Annunciation moment. I experienced a time when I was asked (interiorly) if I would be willing to go on this journey. I had been experiencing some turmoil in my life and had asked God to show me a way through, to show me what I was supposed to be, and this was my answer. I said yes. But later on, as I experienced doubts about whether this was the right path, I found myself thinking more and more about how Mary "pondered these things in her heart". I wondered if she too said yes before thinking too much about it, and what she might have been feeling when she did that pondering.
Meister Eckhart once said “We are all meant to be mothers of God...for God is always needing to be born.” The more I've embraced what I feel is my calling, the more I've felt that being a priest would be my way of birthing God into the world, bringing the light of Christ to the darkness. One of my favorite icons of the Theotokos is Our Lady of the Sign, which in my mind symbolizes Mary as a priestly figure:
She has her hands in the outstretched gesture of prayer that was commonly used by ancient Christians, and is still used today when the priest consecrates the Eucharist. The "sign" is the figure of Christ in a circle in front of her, symbolizing the moment she conceived and fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah that (according to Matthew) was about the messiah. Christ is the light inside of her that she shares with the world. Icons of the Madonna often show her holding the baby Jesus and gesturing towards him, as if to say "he's the important one, look to him." She always points the way to Christ.
No post about loving Mary would be complete without referencing the Magnificat. It's the longest speech Mary has in scripture, and it's thought to have been an ancient hymn that Luke added to his gospel. In it, she joyfully praises a God who lifts up the lowly and sends away those who already have more than enough. She and her people have lived under occupation and oppression for centuries and she sees that now, through her, God will deliver them. Her prayer is a reflection of what Jesus teaches, especially in Luke's gospel.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name... He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ~ Luke 1:49-53 NRSV
Mary praises the God that I have faith in, a God who will lift up those who have been knocked down by this world. In God's kingdom, we are all on the same level. No one is greater than another. We are all loved by God, and there is no need for titles and riches and hoarding of treasure. What we receive from God and share with each other is all we will need. Mary refers to "the lowliness of his servant", i.e. herself, and this reminds me of something that I find fascinating about her appearances at places like Guadalupe and Fatima. She always has appeared to people who are the lowest in society, like children, or in the case of Juan Diego, an indigenous peasant. She doesn't appear to the bishops or royalty, but to the lowly. And she sends them to the powerful and demands they be listened to.
The image that I have of Mary now is so different from the immaculate porcelain image I grew up with. Now I see her as a strong woman, full of the love of God and ready to do his will, with a special affection for those who are small in the eyes of society. I see her as a model of the kind of person I hope to be.
O God, you have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen ~ Collect of the Day: The Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ
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