On this, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, let’s consider a more realistic image of “the Blessed Mother” as suggested by Father Jim Martin in an article for Slate.com.  In it, he focuses on her first words and last words noted in Scripture.

To begin with, the first time Mary opens her mouth in the New Testament, it is to question God. “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” she asks, after the angel tells her that she will give birth (a reasonable enough question). “You have to admit that buried within this supposedly pious and saccharine Bible tale is the vivid image of a strong, resilient, and self-possessed woman. Her response to something surprising in her life—and that’s quite an understatement—is to question. To doubt. Who hasn’t wanted to ask in the face of a life-altering change, “How can this be?”

Mary’s final words in the New Testament come at Jesus’ traditional first miracle, the Wedding Feast of Cana, as recounted in the Gospel of John. When she suggests that Jesus help the host who has run out of wine, Jesus turns to her and says sharply, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” Placidly, his mother turns to the host and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Perhaps she understood Jesus’ ultimate ministry better than even he did at that moment.

Read the whole article and then say three Hail Mary’s. Happy New Year!