The Strength of Mary

Last month I had a brief conversation about my confirmation saint with a friend explaining why I picked the one I did.  Since then, I've thought a great deal about the saint I rejected, the Blessed Virgin Mary, instead of the one I picked.  Mainly I've thought about how I rejected the choice of Mary for all the wrong reasons and how my rejection showed just how little I understood about Mary and the amazingly strong woman she was and the strong example of faith that she still is today.

When I was confirmed in 8th grade, I picked Catherine of Siena for my confirmation saint after many weeks of searching for just the right saint.  I picked her because she was smart and she advised Church leaders.  When I found her, she was the first female saint who embodied everything  I thought a strong female should be at that time in my life.  Even after I picked Catherine, the overwhelming choice everyone still kept suggesting to me again and again was the Blessed Virgin Mary.  I wasn't interested in having Mary has my confirmation saint.  At that time I saw Mary as an average  mother and a wife.  Yes, I knew she was Jesus's mother and that was important, but overall, I saw her as nothing special and certainly not a strong female role model- or any type of role model for that matter.  To be honest, I thought Mary was rather boring.  Over 20 years later, I now know how wrong I was in my 13 year-old assessment of Mary.

Mary is one of the strongest examples of faith that we have for one simple reason- she said "yes".  When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and shared God's plan for her with Mary, she didn't hesitate, she didn't hem and haw or try to bargain with God or the angel.  She simply said "yes" and gave her life to something far greater than herself- God's plan.  Now that I understand so much more the strength of Mary I am absolutely in awe over her answer and her immediate ability to give it.  That is an example of strength that I will probably never be able to achieve in my life.  And one that I greatly underestimated and misunderstood in my youth.

If I had it all to do over again, I'd probably still pick Cathrine of Siena.  We seem to fit so well together for many reasons.  What I would change is that I'd also pick Mary too.  Together they are the yin and the yang of a strong woman of faith for me.  Strong in mind and strong in heart.  Annette Catherine Maria Hunt.  I like the sound of that and all that it implies.