Lent Day 21: There’s Something About Mary

Although Fr. Robert Barron’s reflection for today talks about fasting, there’s a little loophole within Lent that says that fasting isn’t required on solemnities that take place during Lent. There are two solemnities that take place during Lent: The Solemnity of St. Joseph and The Solemnity of the Annunciation.

I know that Catholicism is infamous for being against contraception, abortion, female priests, etc, but seriously. How can you say that the Catholic Church is anti-women when the Church has Mary!

By no means is she considered God’s equal or superior to God, but seriously, Mary gets so overlooked by people who don’t understand or even undermine her importance. She became the mother of the Savior of humanity and according to Catholicism, when she said “Yes” to Gabriel, she said “Yes” to becoming the mother of God! (Insert dramatic music.)

Now I understand that the idea of being devoted to Mary is a little crazy. I’m still trying to get my head around it. However, I will say that it is NOT worshiping Mary. It’s more like this: think about your favorite supporting character from a book, TV show, or film. That character sometimes has as many fans as the main character of a work if not more. It doesn’t take away the main character’s importance, but you feel like that story wouldn’t be the same without that particular supporting character. What would Star Wars be without Han Solo or Star Trek without Spock?

Mary is the same way. She is the most loved supporting character in the Gospel, at least when it comes to Catholicism. She may not have played a large role in Jesus’s ministry, but she had an important role from Jesus’s conception to adulthood. She and Joseph were given the responsibility to raise Jesus and represent the kind of people He would serve when He grew up.

It’s kind of funny that the people who were chosen to be Jesus’s parents were the quiet, humble types. Stories nowadays love loud, brash, take-charge heroes. And yet, here’s Mary in all of her simplicity and she becomes the mother of the Savior.

Now I’m NOT gonna go into speculation on Mary’s background, age, or the numerous apparitions attributed to her. Instead, I want you to listen to this song from Danielle Rose. Mary had a choice. And she said “Yes.” Whatever you might think about Catholicism and how Mary is seen, be glad that she said “Yes” and chose to let God conceive Jesus within her.

Don’t be afraid to say “Yes” to whatever God is asking of you. Let God’s will be done and marvel at how awesome things will be.