As an artist, I have often noticed how Mary is portrayed in solemn stillness, her face often posed in silent contemplation. When reading this book and imagining the Annunciation, I could not help but see her joy and wonder. I wanted to paint her youth, her trembling vulnerability, and her courageous joy. Surely fear hovered nearby, but I believe the Spirit also planted within her a joy so fierce it transformed her forever. She became a living sanctuary of God’s presence, carrying both mystery and joyful hope within her body. Her “yes” was brave participation in the redemption of the world. Special thanks to Bella for teaching me what defiant joy looks like in the midst of deep and shadowed fears.
As an artist, I have often noticed how Mary is portrayed in solemn stillness, her face often posed in silent contemplation. When reading this book and imagining the Annunciation, I could not help but see her joy and wonder. I wanted to paint her youth, her trembling vulnerability, and her courageous joy. Surely fear hovered nearby, but I believe the Spirit also planted within her a joy so fierce it transformed her forever. She became a living sanctuary of God’s presence, carrying both mystery and joyful hope within her body. Her “yes” was brave participation in the redemption of the world. Special thanks to Bella for teaching me what defiant joy looks like in the midst of deep and shadowed fears.
