What Was Mary's Life Like at 14?
Star of the Sea; Queen of Victory; Theotokos; Mother of God; Mary.
She goes by many names. She is known for her Fiat, her yes to becoming the Mother of Jesus Christ. She is the one who taught our Savior how to walk, and talk. Satan shivers in fear at the sound of her name. St. Louis De Monfort said that:
“Mary is the safest, easiest, shortest, and most perfect way of approaching Jesus.”
Mary is the literal Queen, and my all time favorite woman. I was even named after this beautiful sinless woman because of her humility and love for God. There was a time, however, when Mary was “nothing special” in the eyes of the world. There was a time in her life where no one looked at her twice, or thought of her as extraordinary. So what exactly was Mary’s life like right before the angel Gabriel showed up?
When Mary was growing up, women and men each had specific and important roles in everyday life. Mary would have been tasked with helping her mother in the household. Hebrews were among the poorer groups of people in society. For Mary, that meant she probably wouldn’t have had a huge house, or many luxuries. She also would not have been attending school. She would learn all the skills she knew from her mom and other kin. So while you are complaining about the essay you have to write for school, Mary was cleaning the house, tending the stove, and feeding their livestock.
In the 1st century, women got married anywhere from age 12-15. Right now I am engaged, but I am in my 20s. That would have been considered a disgrace from a woman to get married that late in life. So by age 12, Mary’s parents would have been deciding what man would be the right fit for their pre-teen daughter. I’m not sure about you, but at age 12 I had triangle hair and got nervous every time a cute boy looked at me.
The marriage process wasn’t like today either. The girl’s father and future husband would discuss together whether the union was right, then the girl would move into her future hubby’s household with all of his family. After that is when they would officially get married! When Gabriel appeared to Mary, she was probably already living with Joseph’s family! So right now if you were living in the 1st Century as a Hebrew, you’d be either helping your mother run the household, or learning your father’s trade so you could one day take over your household and provide money for the fam. If you’re a lady then you’d also possibly be in the betrothal process….woa.
Mary probably did her best to live up to her physical duties, while also doing her best to cultivate her spiritual life. She would have attended Synagogue on Saturdays like you attend mass on Sundays. This means she would have known her Old Testament scripture (Torah) really well. The New Testament hadn’t been written yet (duh), but she would have known that God had promised to send the Messiah. Mary also would be adamant about making her daily life’s work her prayer, along with making time for her personal prayer each day. The Lord didn’t choose her just for her cooking skills. He chose Mary for her sinlessness, and her piety even before she was conceived.
With that all in mind, reflecting on Mary at your age is very important. A lot of times we forget that Mary was an actual normal girl, just like you and me, but in a different time. Putting yourself in her shoes is an awesome way of connecting with her, and understanding just how important and scary her Fiat was! Getting pregnant outside of marriage was cause for great punishment, but Mary knew that God had greater plans than her fears could keep her from. When we reflect on Mary’s life, we see her closeness and devotion to Christ. This gift of her life gives us an example of how we too can strengthen our relationship with Jesus.
Take a second and reflect on the following questions:
Try to imagine being in Mary’s life at the time. Are you a friend of hers? Do you see her when you go to the market, or maybe on the Sabbath? Is she kind and caring toward you? What is your reaction when you find out she’s pregnant?
“Who more than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her “yes” she opened the door of our world to God himself”
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Spe Salvi, 49
About the Author
Maria Barone
I’m just your typical Italian-American, Buffalo-born, puppy-lovin’, adventure seeking, Catholic girl that actually isn’t that typical. I’m always ready to travel the world and learn new things while staying true to myself, my roots, and my faith. If you wanna see just how crazy I am go ahead and follow me on instagram @ria21993 or on Pinterest at ria223!
