Mary’s Monrh

 This is Mary’s month, as we say in my religious tradition.  So if your name is Mary, this is your month.  Now she is the Mother of Jesus.  At the Annunciation, an angel appears to her.  She did not freak out, but was rather troubled by what the angel said, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”  She has no husband yet, plus women don’t name the male child in her religion.  My point is that she is brought up with a religion of certainty about things.  She has the adolescent faith of certainty that many of us recall.  But now she will be led from certainty into pondering, bewilderment, questioning, and even some doubt about the sanity of her adult son.  She will wrestle with her faith.  Most of us, when we had those feelings, we just gave it up.  Doubt meant you lost your faith.  When we lose the certainty of youth, many of us just walk away into unbelief or agnosticism.  But all Mary’s feelings are “progress” in faith.  Faith has to move from certainty if we are going to grow up into an adult believer.  Mary has consented to evolve when she says, “Do it to me according to your word.”  Happy May Day!