In the city of Rome there are many depictions of Mary, placed on the sides of buildings to honor her, thank her, and remind people that they have a mother. This one is near the parliament building in downtown Rome.
Here is a very thought-provoking reflection on Mary and femininity from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater.
This Marian dimension of Christian life takes on special importance in relation to women and their status. In fact, femininity has a unique relationship with the Mother of the Redeemer, a subject which can be studied in greater depth elsewhere. Here I simply wish to note that the figure of Mary of Nazareth sheds light on womanhood as such by the very fact that God, in the sublime event of the Incarnation of his Son, entrusted himself to the ministry, the free and active ministry of a woman. It can thus be said that women, by looking to Mary, find in her the secret of living their femininity with dignity and of achieving their own true advancement. In the light of Mary, the Church sees in the face of women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the self-offering totality of love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words of support and encouragement.
Twelve Lessons on the Catholic Faith – by Fr. Benjamin Sember
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