Advent Day 16: Mary

Have you ever considered Mary as a love struck teen?  Not like today's teens exactly but  in the most innocent sense?    Can you see her secret smile as she remembers some sweet moment that passed, if only a shared glance with Joseph as they passed on opposite sides of the street?

How she must have dreamed of her future home!  Can you see her laying out the items she has gathered for her future home, admiring them, handling them, smoothing the linens and stroking the pottery as she dreamed?   I wonder if she took her candlesticks, those meant to be lit for Shabat, and gently moved her hands over them and mimicked the prayers she'd heard her own mother use each Sabbath evening, practicing for the day she would bless her own home with the prayer.

As she helped her mother about the house, learning to do the duties a new homemaker would carry out, did she hum happily to herself?  Did she get scolded for losing herself in a daydream of her coming days as a woman of the house?  Did she wonder over the mysteries of marriage and motherhood?

We will never know these things.  We know only what scripture tells us.  Mary lived in Nazareth.   Nazareth was primarily a farming community.   We might guess that Mary was a country girl.

Mary, Miriam, was such a common name at the time of scripture that girls were often called by their parent's names as well in order to distinguish between one and another.    It is reported in some texts that our Mary was the daughter of Joachim and Anna.  This is known because of the genealogy of the author of the book of James, written by Joseph and Mary's son, James.

Mary was about 15 years ago, betrothed to Joseph of the House of David.   We know that she was a young woman who embraced her Jewish faith.  She would have memorized Proverbs, Psalms and the Prophets as part of her coming of age.    She would have attended synagogue and participated in daily prayers in her home.  Because later scriptures tell us that 'she pondered' on other matters, I think we can safely say she'd pondered on the scripture passages, prayers and other things she had learned.

Gabriel's greeting is full of more meaning than we might think.

Luke 1:28 "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women."

Song: Gabriel's Message  by Sting

The Greek word, Charis,  used to convey the phrase "highly favored one" is sometimes translated as 'grace'.    In a sense, Gabriel was endowing her with a new name.  It might well be said to describe her nature.   However, more than a kind, gentle, loving nature, it also carries a further, deeper meaning of  a heartfelt spirit life that was fully governed by her love of God.   

Gabriel then told Mary would bear a child, the Son of God.    When Mary asked "How?" he did not strike her dumb as he had Zacharias.  

Much as Isaiah replied "Here I am", Mary's reply was simply "Let it be to me according to your word."

Could I do that?  Could I just simply say "Let it be to me" and trust that God would mean it all for my good?

Song:  Let Go Now  Brave New Music, Kelanie Gloecker