Why I Love Mary on A.D.

Over this past Holy Week and Easter, I binged a bit. Not on chocolate, although that was tempting, but on all the religious programming that seems to only pop up twice a year. Documentaries, specials, movies, new series; there were so many options from which to choose, all boasting varying degrees of quality and accuracy.

In the midst of all the Hollywood glitz and glam, one portrayal that jumped off the screen at me was the depiction of the Blessed Mother in the series A.D. The Bible Continues on NBC. Why? Because it’s the first time I remember seeing Mary depicted as I always suspected and dared to hope she might be. (Of course, there’s always a danger when talking about characters in an ongoing series. For all I know, they may completely change the nature of Mary’s character by the time this article is published, but as of now, three episodes in, this is what I think.)

The depictions we have of the Mother of God run the gamut – whether in Catholic folklore, popular culture or Protestant doctrine. They range from a perfect woman of idealized beauty surrounded by harmless, chubby winged cherubim to a scared young girl, an untouchable and serene Queen, or even a hardened woman who doubted the very mission of her son. All of those have seemed far removed from both church teaching and how I personally envision the mother of our Savior.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, that I picture, should be strong in her faith. Can you imagine the strength of character and resilience it must have taken for a young girl, happily betrothed, to say yes to God’s extraordinary request of bearing His son? Not having full knowledge of God’s plan, she would have wondered if saying yes to being the mother of Jesus required that she give up her honor, the man she was betrothed to, and quite possibly–in an age where stoning was not only the norm but the law–her very life. The Mary on A.D. believes in God’s promise and draws strength from it, no matter the circumstances in which she and the apostles find themselves.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, that I picture, should be faithful and loving. Mary was a mother, first and foremost. While she may have been privy to more intimate knowledge of God’s plans than most, she still had to see her Son tried, tortured and killed. I can’t imagine as a mom that having prior knowledge of a part of the plan took away the bitter sting of reality or the epic loss of mourning a child. The Mary on A.D. actually portrays that pain in a realistic way coupled with her unshakeable faith in Jesus’ promise to rise again.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, that I picture, should be a positive, effectual influence. The idea that Mary faded away after Jesus reached adulthood, not exerting any influence on Him at all, goes against the Bible (see the wedding at Cana), and defies common sense. The Mary in A.D. is there in the background, emboldening, and when need be, admonishing, Peter and the others when they lack faith, patience and courage. She encourages them to be better people–to be the leaders Jesus called them to become.

It is this living, breathing, strong, faithful, effectual, sometimes gritty but always loving human woman whom I picture as the woman God chose to be a Mother to us all. One whose humble acceptance brought our Savior into the world and who continues to love, advocate for, and lead all the children Her son has entrusted to her. That’s an image of Mary I personally find comforting and approachable. Far from diminishing the honor and glory rightly due to her, contemplating Mary’s humanity makes her rise above it, and her desire to bring us all above it with her, all the more dazzling.