Saturday, December 24, 2016

Nouwen's Reflections on Mary

Just read these reflections from Henri Nowen's Gracias!, which tie in beautifully with some of the reflections I wrote and posted here yesterday. For your pondering....

"Mary experienced uncertainty and insecurity when she said yes to the angel. She knew what oppression was when she didn't find a hospitable place to give birth to Jesus. She knew the sufferings of mothers who see their children being thrown into the air and being pierced by bayonets; she lived as a refugee in a strange land with a strange language and strange customs; she knew what it meant to have a child who does not follow the regular ways of life but creates turmoil wherever he goes; she felt the loneliness of the widow and the agony of seeing her own son being executed. Indeed, Mary is the woman who stands next to all the poor, oppressed, and lonely women of our time...

Every word in Scripture about Mary points to her intimate connection with all who are forgotten, rejected, despised, and pushed aside. She joyfully proclaims: 'He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.' (Luke 1:52-53)"

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