Mary is Relatable

Have you ever thought of Mary and wondered how can I relate to someone who was perfect and sinless (which she was!) when I am not?

This was something I often wondered. In our early relationship, she was this far away woman who I looked up to. I knew I could never attain her perfection, but I wanted to try and be holy like her. This was a good intention! But I remembered that Mary was also human! Apart from being preserved from sin and its consequences (which is… you know… a pretty big deal), we can relate to her as human beings. She had good days. She experienced trials. She had emotions. She laughed and visited with friends. She probably had a messy kitchen occasionally; I tell myself that to feel better. Mind you, all this likely looked far different (and more holy) from our lives, but scripture shows us that Mary is relatable.

Think of the Wedding at Cana and imagine Mary at your wedding. Your guests are there to celebrate you and enjoy time with you. While this is an account of her intercession, she went to this celebration to rejoice with this couple and enjoy time with her family and friends.

Next, she lost Jesus. The Holy Parents lost the Son of God for several days! To their defense… they thought he was among the rest of the pilgrimage, but this I can relate to. I lose my daughter in our own home! She is usually hiding behind a mirror, her rocking chair, or in her closet but still...

Finally, she was a parent. All parents can relate to one another, no matter the circumstance, simply because you are on the journey of parenthood together. It’s rewarding but not always easy. I like the Passion of the Christ scene where Jesus falls and Mary runs to him. As a parent, I relate to that desire to protect my child.

God created Mary to be his sinless mother, and this means she was different from us in many ways! But that doesn’t mean she didn’t have human experiences. In her beautiful humanity, we can all find something in life we can relate to Mary.