1. Where did the word "BOO" come from? I thought about this while watching football this past weekend. People boo when they get mad at refs or other players. Why? People yell "Boo!" to scare one another. What's up with that? And now boo is used to mean girlfriend or boyfriend. Weird....
2.
The Annunciation has been on my mind lately. Not just because we're in Advent, but because while praying the rosary this mystery is number one in the Joyful set. While praying those ten beads a plethora of ponderings pop up.
First of all, I love the above picture. It is called "The Annunciation" by Henry Ossawa Tanner. There are hundreds of paintings depicting the moment Mary received news from the angel Gabriel that she would bear the Son of God. This painting is my favorite because it seems so real. Other paintings show the Annunciation as Mary dressed like a forty-year-old Renaissance queen in the 1600's. These paintings of course are beautiful, but just seem to lack something. I wonder where Mary was when Gabriel appeared to her. Was she outside working in the fields as the movie The Nativity Story portrays? Was it while she was praying? Was it while she was fast asleep?
The other thing that boggles my mind was that Mary was so very young when she was told this miraculous news. I've heard she was between the ages of 13-16. Now I understand Mary's culture was very different than ours today. It was common for Jewish girls to get married at such a young age. However when I try and put myself in Mary's shoes- how would I at age fourteen have acted if an angel came to me telling me I was going to bear the long awaited Messiah? To see how my fourteen year old self was thinking at that time I pulled out my very private diary. I read over some entries, and let me tell you- I laughed A LOT. Life seemed so "horrible" back then! Here's a little taste.
Dear Diary,
Tomorrow is my first track meet with the hurdles. I'm so scared! I don't want to fall and look stupid! God help me! I got my math test back today. 94%- I'm kinda bummed. (Wow the perfectionist in me was alive and well even back then!) Matt walked by me today in the hall and smiled at me!! During track practice he came over and talked to me and asked if I wanted to sit by him on the bus tomorrow!!!!!!!! I'm so happy!!! Nicky saw Matt and I talked and she looked mad. I don't want to make her mad! What do I do?
Wow. Thoughts of getting married and starting a family were not my primary focus like they were for young Jewish women. But even though it was common for Jewish girls to get married so young were they psychologically ready for that? I don't think I could have handled the extra "drama" of an angel coming to me announcing I was to be the Mother of God. :-) Makes me respect the Virgin Mary even more. She said "yes" to the will of God at such a young age. And God's request to Mary was a HUGE one. Becoming pregnant with God even though she had not been with any man.... wow. And yes, I know that she was born without Original Sin, but still! She was human and young. My fallen nature made my teenage years a little bit difficult! :-)
Mary is so awesome!
7 comments:
You know, I have often wondered about Mary's young age, too. But I have seen such spiritual maturity in my 8-year-old, and when I discussed with a good friend of mine (a priest!) he reminded me of all the stories of the saints that showed spiritual maturity at a young age. He reminded me that that should be the norm and it's sad that we see it as stellar instead of the norm.
Just an interesting observation on that topic. I, too, love that painting of The Annunciation...beautiful.
Hmmm...I've never thought of it in that way before! Thanks for that insight! Another thing to ponder!
I have also noticed that people matured earlier in early times. They also normally didn't live as long as we do now. Kids grew up a lot quicker than nowadays - have you ever noticed that even 30 year olds act like teenagers a lot - or young parents act like their young kids, emulating them instead of vice versa - strange!
what just happened to my comment?
Hello Doris! Welcome to my blog! I'm not sure what happened to your comment- I see them! The deleted one above your comment was mine that I deleted. It somehow duplictaed!
And I forgot about those living 2000 years ago didn't live as long as we do now. Good point!
And I know what you mean about 30 year olds acting like teens. I have a lot of friends that still act that way. Then I have other friends that are married with 3 children... such a difference!
I too love that painting. I love it so much I made it my blog header, haha. Once a year, its completely liturgically appropriate. :)
I think it's really amazing to consider how Mary was such a young woman, but how she handled the truth of her vocation so wonderfully, when so many grown women (and men!) fail to do the same. I'm sure being free from sin was helpful in that department.
Great post!
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