Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant. Despite the challenging bout of morning sickness she has faced, she has been looking forward to this. She has wanted to be a mother, to have a family.
I wouldn't mention it except for the fact that this is Advent--that season in the Christian year when all eyes are on the pregnant mother of Jesus. No doubt preachers around the world will be pointing out the contrast between the situation faced by Kate Middleton and the one encountered by Mary of Nazareth. Privilege versus poverty. Fame versus obscurity. Acclaim versus scandal.
But all that said, I can't help but wonder about the similarities. Did Mary suffer morning sickness? Did she, despite divine instructions, consider a variety of names? Did she look forward to motherhood--or did she face it with a measure of anxiety and concern?
I am teaching a course right now about Mary and reviewing her various titles over the years, including Queen of Heaven. Kate Middleton may never reach those heights, but she is most likely bearing the future King or Queen of Great Britain. And all that is well and good. But midst all the pomp and ceremony let us not forget that pregnant is pregnant, and motherhood, in the end, is far more about commonalities than differences.
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