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Thinking about Mary, who held her Creator in her arms, nursed the Giver of all life, taught the Word his first words, and protected the Savior of all, we might be tempted to think that Mary was different from any of us. But God chose Mary, not because she was perfect, but because she was a regular girl who was given favor by God. God’s love took this poor teenage girl and made her the Mother of God.
Mary’s example shows us how much God values each of us, even those of us who identify as female in a world where, for a long time, being female meant mattering less, having less authority, and having a body that was not considered holy enough to be ordained.
God says to everyone in this Christmas season – you matter, your voice matters, your body matters. But to women, sometimes we need that reminder to be a little louder, so in these 12 days that we celebrate Christmas, take time to read the first two chapters of Luke and ponder in your heart the miracle of Jesus’ birth and what that might mean about celebrating women.
This message is excerpted from “What does Christmas mean?: A philosophy of Christmas for women” by Jennifer Hockenbery from the December 29, 2024, blog of the Women of the ELCA. Today is Christmas Day.