Reimagining Mary

It’s hard to imagine what we have never seen.

If all we ever observe in religious art and in role models elevated by the Church are women who are silent and submissive to male authority figures, then it’s hard to imagine a different way of being a woman of God. Can we even relate to this version of Mary portrayed by the Church?

Mary is lauded as a virgin and a mother. How exactly can Catholic women be virgins and mothers at the same time? And what about women who are not called to motherhood? Is their only choice to join a religious order?  And does that somehow make them less than? 

Over the centuries, virginity was held up as the preferred route to holiness for women. But aren’t we all called to holiness? Aren’t we all supposed to bring about the kin-dom of God here on earth in the every-day moments of our lives?  Even those who never had children or who are no longer raising children?  What role would the Church have us play?

And for those of us who are mothers, is utter selflessness to be our aim? This idea leaves many of us feeling guilty for having our own goals and ambitions, even giving ourselves permission to have our own desires. Sometimes I feel guilty for buying crunchy peanut butter when the rest of the family wants creamy!

I visited Italy last year, soaking in all of that art (and pasta and wine, too). In every church and on many street corners, I saw portrayals of Mary. Over and over again, she had her eyes downcast, her hands holding Jesus or folded in prayer and her mouth shut in silent obedience.

Is that all there is to Mary?

Perhaps the reason there are so many distorted images of Mary is because the Church and our society have maintained a distorted image of women, according to Marian scholar Sally Cunneen. Religious art narrowly depicts Mary as silent and submissive, neglecting all the other dimensions of her character. Art typically does not portray her as fully human, as one who experiences the full range of emotions. 

 She is not even allowed to age!  Mary with grey hair?  Unthinkable!

Mary was fully human. And we see this in the Magnificat in Luke’s gospel. The first part is filled with joy and praise about how God has blessed Mary. But then, the hymn turns radical. The words capture a strong yearning for a transformed world, a longing for the fulfillment of God’s promises of justice and peace, of full bellies and liberated bodies, of uplifting the lowly and dismantling oppressive regimes.

These strong words are not sung by the gentle, tender, dreamy young girl I saw in all the Italian artwork. This version of Mary is passionate, proud, and enthusiastic about the new beginning, about the hope for a transformed world. This is Mary who has seen the injustices of her people and is ready to take a stand, to speak up, and maybe to flip a table or two.

Why is it important to see Mary as fully human?  To see her as a woman who experienced all the feelings?  To realize that she had emotional reactions, like anger and impatience, that may not have been considered “lady-like” then or now?

If we can see Mary as angry, then we can give ourselves permission to be angry. If we see Mary as joyfully singing and dancing, then we can give ourselves permission to find joy and sing loudly at the top of our lungs. If we can see Mary as troubled by unjust circumstances, then we can tap into our troubling feelings and turn our negative emotions into positive fuel to fight against injustices.

We need to re-envision Mary with images that liberate her. Images that are empowering, images that depict Mary as angry at the injustices of the world – just the way she sounds in the Magnificat. Liberating portrayals help us to understand Mary as a sign of what we can be when we are aware of the divine presence in the world and, most importantly, in our very souls.

I have painted a series of nine images that reimagine Mary and, by extension, all women, so that we can see what it looks like to be strong, empowered, confident, and assertive, all while living out God’s invitation to be holy.

You can watch my virtual art show, see what inspired me, and follow along with my process for each painting in this video!