Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Writes Beautiful
Poetry
We have very few facts describing
the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, although
there are many stories and traditions associated with her.
We know that she was old enough to be married, and that she had been promised to Joseph
in marriage, but the marriage had not yet taken place before the angel Gabriel told her that Jesus would be her son.
We know that her extended family was scholarly and followed Jewish religious
practices. Before Jesus was born, Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah,
a priest. Under Jewish law, only members of certain families could be priests,
and they could marry only into certain select families that were known for
their piety and careful religious observance. Mary was welcomed in their
home, which meant that her presence would not keep Zechariah from his priestly
responsibilities.
Mary herself was a scholar and a poet.
Her Magnificat is one of the most beautiful poems
in all literature.
After carefully observing the purification laws after Jesus' birth, Mary
and Joseph took Jesus to be redeemed from God in the Temple in Jerusalem. The sacrifice of doves that they offered
was the sacrifice of everyday people, not of the wealthy, but most families
would not have been able to afford the journey at all.
When Jesus was a boy, the extended family went
to Jerusalem every year to observe the Passover in the Temple. Again, only
certain families, observant and religious in their daily lives, would be
allowed or encouraged to do that.
Mary was a part of Jesus' adult life, attending the marriage
at Cana with him. This wedding celebration may have been for someone
in their family, for Mary seemed to expect Jesus to take charge when things
went wrong and they ran out of wine.
She may have accompanied Jesus on some of his preaching journeys, and she
was present at his crucifixion, where he spoke
directly to her from the cross. After Jesus' ascension
into heaven, she continued to meet with Jesus' disciples
in Jerusalem.
The stories of the poor young peasant girl who heard voices from God are based on the life of Joan of Arc, a young French girl of the Middle Ages. Unfortunately the stories of these two women's lives were confused in the peoples' minds during that time and for some people that confusion persists.
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