Hi All!
Happy St Nick's! This show "kicked a**"! Wasn't it great? I loved talking about Mary as a REAL person and more of her personality (ex: her "bugging" Jesus that it was time for his first miracle & it was to make more wine at the wedding in Canaan!).
Ginny shared some wonderful stories from her book, Mary and Me, about some of the interviews she did for the book to see how women viewed Mary. Age range was 20-92 & Ginny found that the themes were basically the same, with the only difference being in some of the traditions & celebrations surrounding Mary. Major theme Ginny found was that many of the women didn't feel they could "relate" to God, but could relate to Mary, & it was Mary they turned to in times of need & crisis.
While attending Catholic school, Ginny told us that she felt a distint connection to Mary, that she was "perfect, pious" but not really "human"...like the perfect statues we see in churches & Catholic schools. And it wasn't until her 20s, when she was honeymooning in France, they made a sidetrip to Lourdes...it was here that Ginny had her "a-ha" moment...Mary had said a "big YES" when she was told she was to be "the mother of God" not knowing what the future would hold (remember, women didn't have a whole lot of rights back in ancient times & she could have been stoned to death)...kind of like the "big YES" of getting married. It was here, that Ginny found a connection to Mary.
One of the things we discussed was that the church, in general, doesn't focus on the courage & strength of Mary. From the time of the conception to Jesus being crucified, Mary survived, showed faith & courage not knowing what the end result would be. Whether you are a Catholic or not, most women can relate to being "a mom", dealing with gossip, fighting to save your reputation and losing a child. THIS is what makes Mary relatable to women across cultures and religious beliefs.
Here's some more info on Ginny:
Ginny Kubitz Moyer is the author of Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God, which received a 2009 Catholic Press Award. She’s also an English teacher, weekend gardener, sporadic exerciser, and proud mother of two young boys. Visit her blog at www.blog.maryandme.org for thoughts on Mary, faith, parenting, and the occasional ode to Jane Austen.
While her focus has been more on Catholicism and Mary, shes now syndicating pieces on broader spirituality - how to balance it with family.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Holidays (and dare I say Happy Festivus?) to all my fabulous listeners!!! Until next year...Stay safe and have a joyous holiday season!!.....DeAnna
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