May is Mary’s month, and here we are half-way through and I haven’t said a thing, even though Mary is my person, the heart of my faith.
Mary is the one who showed me it was okay to ask questions in the church.
Even her initial “Yes” to God came only after her questions were answered by the Angel Gabriel. God gave her the ultimate purpose as the mother of Jesus, and Mary still had the courage to ponder before giving the angel her answer.
I used to wish I was the type of person who says “Yes” to God in the moment, who is as sure of the call as she is of her response, but I always, ALWAYS ask questions first. I am never certain.
Mary and I have that in common; we both desperately want to understand so that we may move forward fully prepared to share God’s love. She taught me that it is okay to question, okay to push for miracles, okay to care for our leaders, and okay to lead in the church.
Having a woman role-model in a historically patriarchal church is why women have been able to thrive in the Catholic church over time. Mary reminds us daily that women matter, and that sometimes, they even rule.
god forever tries 