To Those Who Think Mary Didn’t Laugh

To those who think Mary didn’t laugh,

There is a joke about the Virgin Mary that one of my professors, a nun, told us. I tried to draw it in a comic for my choir director. Bless his soul, he gave us a small survey thing to fill out, but I had it over Christmas break and so I had a lot of time and I drew him a comic. I hope he has a sense of humor! Anyways, I’ll try to replicate it, but just in case, I’ll explain it. So this is the time in the Bible where the mean men want to kill the woman, who allegedly is Mary Magdalene, because she was, in a kid-friendly way, “too friendly to strangers”. You know what I mean?

Anyways, Jesus starts being super extra cool and starts writing what some of my teachers have said might be the sins of the men who brought her to Him, so they started leaving. Then, He says, “Whoever has no sin should cast the first stone”, but in His language and with His awesome, majestic voice which I think He has. Then a small, emphasis on the small, pebble hits Mary Magdalene, allegedly, on the head. Jesus then turns and says, “Mother!”, to which Our Lady responds with a shrug and a smile.

So when my professor told us this joke I laughed, probably way too hard. She kept giving the class, and I would remember how I pictured Our Lady shrugging, and I would giggle again.

“Maria Jose”, you might say, “it’s honestly not that funny”. You’re right, it’s not. Here’s the thing though, there are just a few images of Our Lady laughing. I mean, like really laughing. So, naturally, thinking of Our Lady as a possible jokester and thinking of Jesus following along with her jokes fills my heart with joy!

Sure, Our Lady was gentle and kind. Here is my theory though: Our Lady was probably really, really funny. Can’t you imagine? I mean, she was filled with joy! It wasn’t a momentary happiness, but full, honest joy. There is a saying about how the people who smile the brightest, cry the hardest. I think it’s true, and Our Lady, when Jesus died must have suffered so much more than all of those people with bright smiles. God loved Our Lady so much that He gave her His only Son. Why wouldn’t He also give her a beautiful smile and a joyous laugh?

I think Mary and Jesus laughed like no other. I think they were like those people whose smile is so contagious, it’s addicting. I think God saw them laugh together and laughed along with them. Yes, they suffered greatly. However, l think they enjoyed life to the fullest because they knew God was with them. If we really understood that, that God is with us, we wouldn’t worry about trivial things as much. We’d have more joy in our hearts, more laughs in our lives.

So to those who didn’t think the joke was that funny, you may be right. On the other hand, the thought of the joy of Our Lady and Jesus is so beautiful and contagious, even centuries later we can laugh with them.

That’s one of my greatest bucket list things, drinking juice or something with Mary and Jesus and telling them a joke. They’d laugh and say, “that’s not exactly how it happened”. Wouldn’t that be funny?

So, go back to the top and read the joke again. Isn’t it funnier now?

With Mary in Christ,
Someone who is still laughing