Mary & Anthropology

• The first section argues that we need an anthropology that can better reflect humanity, one that can "encompass the difference, multiplicity, non-homogeneity, and creativity of the human-man and woman" (12). Furthermore, this anthropology must address how "the human word becomes divine word" (16).
  
• Mary is such an example of "divine word", "a word that becomes 'divine word' for human beings" (17). And, like humanity, the images of Mary are vast, varying from culture to culture (18).
  
• The second section begins by talking about 'base communities', which are "true communities", "ecclesial", and "base" (161-2). They are strongly bonded communities, founded on the church, and are constituted with the "poor and humble" (162). This is linked to Mary, who was "totally God's"& "totally the people's" (162).
• The Magnificat has a dual expression: one of complete acceptance and one of complete denial. Through this song, Mary accepts all of the Lord's servants (poor & humble though they be) and rejects all sin which would separate the Lord from His servants.
  
• Through devotion to Mary, we come to sing this song ourselves - we accept the poor, the undesirable, the diseased while rejecting all sin and injustice.

While talking about the need for a revitalized anthropology, Gebara & Bingemer state "we are both product and producers of what we live, know, inherit, believe, and hope" (15). In essence, we are tellers of the story, having been given the story from generations of the past. We are not wholly independent of the story we've been given, but continue the story in our own lives. We are able to do this because we continue to experience God in our lives today.

One of the ways in which we experience God is through the story and through human word made divine. Here, Mary is a central figure. She is "an 'endless' revelation of God" (18). There are many traditions that speak about the Holy Mother, and "they do not have to be mutually exclusive" (18). Just as we value diversity in education and politics, we can come to appreciate the many ways in which Mary exemplifies the Christian life and speaks to different cultures.

This is not to say that we need not be mindful of negative stereotypes that have stemmed from devotion to Mary. Rather, we need to tell the story with our gained perspective and re-claim the strengths of the story. For example, Paul VI claimed that "Mary of Nazareth, 'far from being a passively submissive woman or one with alienating religiosity, was indeed a woman who did not hesitate to say that God is the one who vindicates the poor and the oppressed and who has cast the powerful off their thrones'" (163-4). We can follow this example and place it at the center of our story, rather than stories of being passive and submissive.

In doing so, we can learn to take up her song, the Magnificat - accepting God's will and rejecting sin and all its forces. Devotion to Mary, hence, is a calling to accept God's will and to praise God, despite its many forms.

So, knowing that we are called to accept God's will and reject sin, what are our obligations? If Mary is the Mother of the poor, ought we not also work to protect and serve them? If we have strong obligations, are we called to them in ways besides Mary?