By and large, how has our culture come to understand Mary? What are some things that you may have heard or seen about Mary in your life?

How does the Bible portray Mary? What are some of the main characteristics that you can see about her from a cursory glance at the gospels?

Read Luke 1:26-38. How do you think that you would have reacted in this situation? What do you notice about Mary’s reaction that it noteworthy?

Read Luke 1:46-55. What can we learn about Mary from her song of praise? What does it teach us about her character, and her theology, and her faith?

Read Luke 2:1-40, and Matthew 2. Describe the events surrounding Jesus’s birth and infancy, as you understand them from these 2 passages.

Other than Jesus’s birth, we only see Mary in a few other places in Scripture:

  • The Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)
  • Interacting with Jesus (Mark 3:20-35)
  • The Cross (John 19:25-27)
  • After the Ascension (Acts 1:12-14)

What can we learn about Mary from these respective appearances?

In what ways does Mary serve as an example for us, as believers today? In what ways should we aspire to be like Mary?

Resources
Reflection Questions