Jewish Roots of the Ten Marian Virtues by Cheryl Dickow l Catholic Faith l Jewish Beliefs in the Catholic Faith l Catholic Religion

Obedience

Mary’s obedience is recognized in her unequivocal “yes” to Archangel Gabriel’s announcement that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son who would be called “son of the Most High.” Mary’s “yes” is often called her “fiat.”

Sarah, too, gave an unequivocal “yes” - a “fiat” -to her husband’s news that God had called him forth from his homeland to a land far away. In obedience, Sarah - the first Matriarch of the Jewish faith - follows her husband. Sarah did not personally hear from God so her agreement to accompany her husband on the journey that God initiates is quite praiseworthy. She is credited for converting many people.

The Jewish mystics teach that the Shekinah (the Holy Spirit - the presence of God) resided with Sarah all the days of her life as it hovered over her tent and at her death departed from her tent.

Pure

Mary’s physical purity is an important doctrine of the Catholic faith.

Rebekah is the second Jewish Matriarch. Her physical purity is mentioned in Genesis 24:16 where Abraham’s servant seeks to find a wife for Isaac. To this day, both the Catholic and Jewish faith teaches about modesty and physical purity in much of the same ways.

Rebekah’s purity until her marriage was consummated is very much a part of her life as a Prophetess. The Shekinah, which departed after the death of Sarah, is said to have returned upon the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac. It is Rebekah’s gift of prophecy that prompted her helping Jacob “steal” the blessing from his brother Esau. Of course this really isn’t the case! God spoke to her during her difficult pregnancy and let her know that the “older would serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23).

Faithful

Mary’s faithfulness is witnessed her entire life and is most eloquently understood with the phrase “kept them in her heart” in reference to incidences in her life as Christ’s mother. It is faith - fully alive within our hearts - that keeps company with those things we don’t understand but desire to use in our own purposeful walk with the Lord.

Rachel, too, kept things hidden in her heart where she pondered them, trying to make sense of them - using them to fulfill her role as a Matriarch. Rachel tapped into her heartache - arising from a desire for motherhood - to learn about faith. Rachel died giving birth to her second son, Benjamin.

Rachel shows, as does Mary, that to keep things in our heart and ponder how they are part of our journey requires a significant amount of faith. Faith, then, resides with these things in our heart, allowing wisdom to be gained from them.

Sorrowful

The sorrowful virtue of Mary stems from Luke 2:35 when Mary is told “you yourself a sword will pierce” as part of the prophetic word about the future of her son, Jesus.

Likewise, Leah, the fourth Jewish Matriarch, herself experiences a heaviness of heart in what is often referred to as a loveless marriage that, nonetheless, results in the birth more than half the twelve tribes of Israel. Leah’s sorrowful heart is given voice as each son’s name reflects her interior pain. For instance: Reuben means “see, a son!” meaning she hopes her husband will love her now; Simeon means “hearing” in that she hopes God is hearing her cries for love; Levi means “joined” in that she hopes his birth joins her husband to herself; Judah means “praise” as Leah begins to appease her sorrowful heart and turns it into praise for God.

Humility

The complete humility of Mary is pre-figured in the beautiful, humble figure of Queen Esther - and there can’t be any coincidence that both are called “Queen.” The correlation that each “Queen” puts her subjects first - and her own needs last - is significant. Humility is the total abandonment to divine will and the willingness to do that which serves God most fully. Each woman - Queen Esther and Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth - humbled herself completely for God. Humility is the foundation of advocacy. Without humility - as shown through Queen Esther and Mary - a person cannot advocate for another. These women each model that advocacy for others - both earthly and heavenly - begins with humility.

Prudent

Mary was a prudent woman; she lived her life without the drama we often see (or are part of) on, for instance, social media sites or reality television.

Abigail is a perfect Old Testament example of a woman who values prudence and lives accordingly. When her husband Nabal endangers the whole family and their wealth by refusing to pay David (here on the run from King Saul) for assuring that Nabal’s land is kept safe, Abigail must wisely intercede.

Instead of wildly throwing accusations at her husband, Abigail prudently intercepts David and points out to David the consequences he could bring upon his own head by following through with his threats upon Nabal. Ultimately, Nabal dies at the hand of the Lord and David is so grateful to Abigail’s far-sighted handling of the situation that he marries her.

Abigail, like Mary, shows the beauty and grace of living a discreet life.

Devout

After years of remaining barren, Hannah one day prays in the temple. Devoutly she cries out to the Lord; from the depths of her heart she prays. Her lips move but no sound emerges as the prayers are from her heart to the Lord’s heart. She prays for a son and offers to give that son to the high priest God does, indeed, give Hannah and son and she does, in turn, offer him back to God.

Although Mary did not pray for a son, we know Mary to be a devout Jewish woman to whom God gave a special son - a son Mary had to willingly offer back to God for the people.

Both these women witness what true devotion often entails: self-sacrifice and commitment. They are role models who show that prayers from the heart are the prayers that God accepts into his heart.

Poor

On one hand, we strive to eliminate poverty from our own lives and from the lives of those around us. On the other hand, poverty is a place from which God can work miracles. Mary and Joseph were so poor that the birth of Christ occurred in a stable.

The widow from II Kings is in great poverty when she reaches out to the prophet Elisha. In jeopardy of losing her sons to slavery to pay her debts she is told to take what little she has a few drops of oil and is given directions on how this oil will be enough to pay her debts.

She follows Elisha’s instructions and miracles abound.

Poverty is a frightening idea and yet in terrifying times we learn that miracles do happen. Maybe we are in line for a miracle or maybe we are the ones to bring miracles to others!

Patient

God’s timing is perfect. Patience is moving according to God’s timing in all things. Mary stood at the foot of the Cross. She was in God’s timing for her son to make her the mother to all. Being patient means knowing that God is at work and that there will always be the right place and the right time for things to happen.

The five daughters of Zelphehad were patient women. With the daunting possibility of losing everything, of having no inheritance, these patient women were given the perfect time to put their case before Moses as he was presenting the laws and rules of inheritance (Numbers 27).

In this perfect timing, the daughters were given an inheritance from their father’s estate that might not otherwise have been theirs.

Being patient, waiting on God’s perfect timing, always has its rewards.

Merciful

The final Marian virtue of mercy is best foreshadowed in the life of Ruth. Just as Mary takes mercy upon all the down trodden and so models for us to do the same. Ruth was a model of mercy towards her widowed, childless mother-in-law, Naomi.

Certainly, Naomi’s words that her daughters-in-law ought to leave and find new spouses since their husbands (Naomi’s sons) died. It is merciful Ruth who sees beyond the spoken words and into Naomi’s broken heart. It is Ruth, then, who commits herself to Naomi’s side and eventually marries Boaz. Ruth becomes the father of Obed who becomes the father of Jesse who becomes the father of David. Christ’s lineage, then, arises from merciful Ruth as it is David’s bloodline from which Jesus will be born!

Christ, the merciful Redeemer, arises from a lineage of compassion born of a Jewish woman who embodies the many virtuous traits of her ancestors.