Mary the Mother of Joy

In the Christian understanding, the concept of joy is thoroughly rooted in the message of the Gospel, and its significance is elevated in its identification as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Interestingly, the association of the Virgin Mary with joy became popularized during the early modern period (1400-1800 A.D.), when all major sects of Christianity — the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and Catholic Churches — came to place an especially great emphasis on venerating the blessed Mother of God, viewing her through the lens of joy. Of the 1,071 available Marian stories from this historical period,[1] 192 (constituting 17.9%)[2] directly use the words joy or rejoice, suggesting a deliberate association. In analyzing the stories in the Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary Project (PEMM) wherein the Virgin Mary is associated with joy, a pattern emerges: the blessed Virgin is alluded to as either the embodiment of joy or its bestower. Indeed, this medieval association of the Virgin Mary with joy remains especially relevant today, permeating historical, social, and cultural contexts, as Christians today, following in the footsteps of their predecessors, strive to establish a personal relationship with Mary, who, by virtue of being the Mother of God, is also the mother of the Church.

In such an analysis, it becomes necessary to distinguish between happiness and joy, especially as both terms are often used interchangeably in colloquial language. Both concepts, while related, have significantly distinct meanings: happiness is associated with happenings, while joy transcends and permeates circumstance. In other words, happiness comes from the outside-in while joy comes from the inside-out. An illustrative PEMM example, that of ID#60, describes a woman who is said to have “rejoiced joyfully” although “they beat her with rods until her blood poured out like water.” Undoubtedly, encountering physical abuse is not something that would bring a person happiness, which is why the author opts instead to use the term joy — a completely different concept. This notion is further exemplified in the PEMM Marian story database as a whole: the word happy is only mentioned 15 times in all translated stories, few of which are related to the Virgin Mary personally. The use of the word joy over happiness thus signifies that the authors of these stories were familiar with the conceptual differences between the two terms, especially in light of the framework of Christian thought.

The Historical Context of Marian Stories

A common expression in many of the relevant Marian stories is “rejoiced with great joy” — an emphasis on joy even when joy is already being expressed. Such insistence points to joy as a spiritual commodity worth striving for. When the PEMM Marian stories are put into their historical, social, and cultural contexts, we see why the authors and audience alike desired joy. While the PEMM database contains stories with attestations that span from 1375 A.D. to the present day, most of the accounts therein first appeared between 1400 and 1600 A.D. This, however, does not mean that these stories did not exist before these dates, but rather that they were formally documented in writing at these points in time. Given that most of these manuscripts are Ethiopian, we will focus on the Ethiopian context in which they were written.

In the fifteenth century, Ethiopia was ruled by the Zagwe dynasty. This period was known for its cultural and religious vibrancy in the form of literature, paintings, and church architecture. This productivity birthed the idea of artistic expression in Ethiopian culture, one of the fruits of which being Marian manuscripts. It is no mystery why such cultural expression brought great joy: oral stories now bore the fruit of literacy and illustration.

In the sixteenth century, however, the Solomonic dynasty replaced the Zagwe dynasty, resulting in a period of political and social conflict. During this time, Ethiopia began to cultivate ties with European nations. This era of conflict in Ethiopian history developed in its citizens a yearning for joy as defined in Christian thought. Marian stories continued to be written and developed, with some also finding their origins in Europe given Ethiopia’s developing relationship with European powers. Thus, joy was relayed through Marian stories as a means of bringing comfort to their audience.

Mary as the Embodiment of Joy

In many Marian stories, the Virgin Mary is alluded to and described as the embodiment of joy — joy being a defining characteristic of her essence. Thus, Mary, as a vessel of joy, offers important insights into what joy is.

Through the Virgin Mary, the embodiment of joy, the characteristics of joy are made evident. In the case of ID#29, joy radiates. In this story, the Virgin Mary grants a woman a son after she promised to offer a feast in Mary’s name and baptize him at one of the landmarks the Holy Family visited while in Egypt. While the son was being baptized, he was dropped into the spring. Upon being rescued, the boy recalls that a beautiful woman caught him, saving him. In response, the family and those gathered at the spring cried out to the Virgin Mary saying, “you are [the] fullness of joy and gladness, blessed are you among women.” Here, the word fullness may be substituted for the word embodiment. As a result of her saving the young boy, Mary becomes joy for those who experienced this miracle. This not only emphasizes the association between Mary and joy, but also the understanding of Mary as the mother of all who put on Christ: the believers. The characters in the account, by experiencing this joyful miracle, form an intimate relationship with Mary who rescues their loved ones. Moreover, this personal relationship with Mary extends to a further intimacy with joy.   

Along with depicting the radiance of joy, in the Virgin Mary and the PEMM accounts of the believers’ encounters with her, joy is also found to be beautiful. In the story of ID#35, the author reports an “abounding joy in the appearance of [the Virgin Mary’s] face.” Subsequently, we find a relationship between appearance and sentiment: the beauty of the Virgin Mary is correlated with her joy. This notion is further expressed in ID#68, which tells that a man named George had an “exceedingly great joy that filled his heart through the beauty and sweet odor of Our Lady Mary.” Again, joy is correlated with beauty, and, in this case, an aroma, or “sweet odor,” as well. The engagement of the senses is emphasized in both of these examples. Both accounts portray a relationship with joy and the sense of sight, and the second story also draws on the sense of smell. As a result, we learn that joy is not only experienced emotionally, but physically as well. This correlation is further demonstrated in ID#181, wherein a monk encounters “the sweetness of [the Virgin Mary’s] joy.” Thus, joy is also sweet, implying its relationship to taste. Ultimately, the Virgin Mary is not simply an embodiment of joy in the emotional sense, but also in the physical sense.

Hitherto, joy has been found to be radiating, beautiful, and sweet. In ID#35-C, the author uses a simile to compare the experience of joy, expressed in relation to the Virgin Mary, to being in heaven. Thus, we learn that joy is heavenly. He writes, “to them it is like being in Heaven because of the joy that they find at that time, through the apparition of the Theotokos.” The characteristic of joy as heavenly further associates it with the healing and righteous qualities of heaven. In the book of Revelation, the heavenly city is described as having a tree with leaves that “were for the healing of the nations.”[3] In the prior chapter, John the Beloved also discusses healing, writing: “He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”[4] Moreover, Peter the Apostle writes: “But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”[5] The heavenliness of joy emphasizes its ability to permeate circumstance, and having the Virgin Mary as its embodiment in this context is most fitting. Just as heaven is referred to as the place where God resides, the Logos, a Hypostasis of the Triune God, took flesh from and resided in the womb of the Virgin Mary.[6] Thus, the relationship between joy and Mary is a quintessential conceptualization of heaven.[7]

Ultimately, through the Virgin Mary as the embodiment of joy, we understand joy as having (but not being limited to) the characteristics of radiation, beauty, sweetness, and heavenliness. Notably, these characteristics are not dependent on external factors, but are rather in and of themselves both splendid and yearned for.

Mary as the Bestower of Joy

Thus far, the Virgin Mary has been established as the embodiment of joy, and, as this embodiment, she reveals and exemplifies the characteristics of joy. Delving deeper into the Marian stories that mention joy, one also observes the endowment of joy through the person of the Virgin Mary. In this way, the Mother of God becomes the bestower of joy.  

The Virgin Mary — the mother of the Church by virtue of being the Mother of Him who is the head of the Church — grants joy to the believers as members of the Church. She acts uniquely and personally with each of the faithful, as her children. For some, she bestows joy by seeking justice on their behalf, while for others, she grants joy simply through her presence. By forming an intimate relationship with her venerators, the Virgin Mary becomes recognized as someone who is closer than expected. By emphasizing the intimacy of Mary, the Marian stories we have been discussing portray a message that proclaims joy as being within reach.

The Virgin Mary, possessing joy as an inherent characteristic, is able to bestow joy because it is an essential part of her being. In ID#44, the Virgin Mary seeks vengeance for a group of Christians at a monastery in Egypt who were robbed by a group of Arabs after a prayer service. After realizing what had happened, a priest threatens Mary, stating that he will no longer pray in her sanctuary if she does not return the possessions of the church-goers. In response, Mary appeared to the Arabs, blinded and paralyzed them, and commanded them to return the possessions. Once the people heard of her intercession, they described the Virgin Mary as the one who “pour[s] out joy.” In this expression, one perceives not only how the blessed Virgin embodies joy, but also her generous outpouring of joy. To further illustrate this point, one can easily recognize that a fountain is able to pour out water only because it is full of water. A fountain could not be a fountain without water, and as such, water is necessary to the very being of a fountain. The relationship of joy to the person of the Virgin Mary is similar: she is able to pour out joy only because joy is of her essence. Furthermore, the phrase “pours out” also signifies the graciousness and multitude of joy that Mary bestows: for those monks for whom the Virgin advocated, her actions constituted more than a mere bestowal, but an outpouring of joy. Since joy forms part of Mary’s intrinsic character, she is able to confer it freely.

Further, Mary’s ability to freely bestow joy fulfills the promise of joy given to her: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.”[8] In ID#71, the Virgin Mary intercedes on behalf of a queen who requested that Mary allow her to have a son, promising that he will be raised righteously. The Virgin Mary accepts her supplications, intercedes on her behalf, and God grants her a son. At this child’s baptism, all those present marveled as a great light shined over the child after he was blessed by the patriarch. Once the queen returned home with her son, they held a feast and venerated the Virgin Mary saying, “Because of you, we have joy in exchange for our grief and delight in exchange of our sadness.” Interestingly, this concept of joy in exchange for sadness, not unique to this story, echoes the Lord’s promise of joy out of sorrow. It is not the ability to turn sorrow into joy that is exemplary in this Marian story, but rather, the instrument through which this occurs — Mary herself. The author of ID#71 was likely familiar with this saying of Jesus and felt that the fulfillment of this promise was the Virgin Mary, hence the language used — “because of you [Mary].” Here, the character of Mary is twofold: she is the bestower of joy as well as the fulfillment of the promise of joy.  

Following this theme of Mary as the fulfillment of joy, in ID#27, the author describes the Virgin Mary as the one “who brings joy and consolation.” The phrase who brings is interesting in this context, allowing for a multifaceted interpretation: the Virgin can be understood here as the messenger of the joy of God, as well as the embodiment of joy who thereby possesses the power to bestow joy at her discretion. If we follow the teachings of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, then it would be more appropriate to address the Virgin Mary as the messenger of joy. However, the language used in this story, as well as in many others, does not suggest this notion to be the understanding of the authors. Rather, the authors resonate with the idea that the Virgin Mary is the embodiment of joy and has authority in and of herself. It is important to note here the difficulty in translation, which may lend itself to misinterpretation. Irrespectively, these stories cannot necessarily be regarded as historically or theologically accurate; primarily, their authorship was commissioned to become a source of comfort, inspiration, and encouragement for the faithful, especially as they experienced the sociopolitical injustices that plagued the Ethiopians in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In light of this perspective, one understands the immersion in and repurposing of many Biblical stories relating the concept of joy to the Virgin Mary, who is dearly beloved to the faithful.

In the PEMM Marian stories, the Virgin Mary is therefore established as the embodiment of Biblical joy, even having authority to bestow joy to the living faithful. However, the method by which Mary offers and bestows joy is not consistent or generalizable. Rather, her relationship with each individual Christian is unique, offering further insights into the intimacy of Mary and her joy. For instance, in ID#191, a youth, after kissing the hand of the Virgin Mary, “wept from joy.” In this story, joy is bestowed through an intimate physical connection. In ID#256, when Mary visited her relative Elizabeth during their pregnancies, Elizabeth tells her: “When I heard your voice in greeting, the child leapt joyfully and happily in my womb.”[9] Here, joy is described as being bestowed through the hearing of Mary’s voice. In ID#35, upon seeing the Virgin Mary, “joy came upon” those who asked for her supplications that they may see a family member who had passed away. Here, joy comes upon those who simply see Mary.

In these examples, we see the Virgin Mary granting joy through physical intimacy, speech, and sight, presenting to readers the understanding that they likewise, by establishing a relationship with the Virgin Mary and the departed saints, can encounter joy through this system of ecclesial relation. In this way, joy ceases to be a far-fetched concept and becomes a way of life that can be experienced through physical intimacy, delicacy of speech, and delight in sight. Ultimately, the Virgin Mary, as the bestower of joy, acts uniquely and personally with each of her believers at the level where they are able to experience her and share in her joy.

Significance & Conclusion

Whether as the embodiment or bestower of joy, the Virgin Mary’s association with joy serves as a source of comfort, hope, and inspiration for believers. The unique relationship of joy to the person of the Virgin Mary is easily perceptible. The Marian stories of the PEMM project do well to illustrate and emphasize Mary’s joy and reflect her faith and complete trust in God and His promises. It is important to note that these Marian stories were, and continue to be, part of the Ethiopian Orthodox culture and tradition; they are not merely words fabricated and commissioned for the sake documentation, but were rather authentic, personal, and living depictions of the Virgin Mary. As such, the personal qualities of these stories shine through the written accounts: discussing joy in such a context not only portrays the journey of Christian life as the cultivation of spiritual fruit, but also presents the Virgin Mary as the mother of the faithful, accompanying, encouraging, and comforting them — indeed, granting them a joyful countenance and exuberant endurance — as they venture deeper into their lives in Christ her Son and through any of life’s difficult circumstances.

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[1] Approximately one-third of these Marian stories are translated in the Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary Project (PEMM).

[2] Due to the gap in translations available, the actual percentage is likely much higher.

[3] Revelation 22:2

[4] Revelation 21:4

[5] 1 Peter 3:13

[6] “The One of the Trinity, one in essence with the Father, when He saw our lowly state and our bitter bondage, He bowed the heaven of heavens and came to the womb of the Virgin. He became Man like us, except for sin only” (The Thursday Θεοτοκια: 8.1-2).

[7] In the hymns of the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the titles that are given to the Virgin Mary is “the new heaven.” For instance: “…This is Mary, the new heaven on earth, from whom shines on us the Sun of Righteousness” (The Thursday Θεοτοκια 9.3).

[8] John 16:20

[9] See also Luke 1:41-44

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Bibliography

• Wallis Budge. “ID 27: Scete miracles: Maryam from Dǝfrā, a child who wanted to receive Communion but was shut up in the house when her family went to church, goes to heaven..” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/27. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Jeremy Brown & Dawit Muluneh with Ekaterina Pukhovaia. “ID 29: Mǝnetä Diyaqon cycle: The wife of Joseph from Mǝneta Diyāqon, who had no male children..” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/29. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Jeremy Brown & Dawit Muluneh with Wendy Laura Belcher and Ekaterina Pukhovaia. “ID 35: Däbrä Metmaq miracles: The annual apparition of Saint Mary at Däbrä Metmaq with Christ's promises.” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/35. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Rowan Williams. “ID 35-c: Däbrä Metmaq miracles: The annual apparition of Saint Mary at Däbrä Metmaq when the bishop asks her to give her blessing…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/35-c. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Jeremy Brown & Dawit Muluneh with Blaine Kebede. “ID 44: The priest, Rizqallah, recovers things stolen from pilgrims…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/44. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Jeremy Brown & Dawit Muluneh with Blaine Kebede. “ID 60: The Arab woman who entrusted her jewels to a Christian for safekeeping…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/60. Last modified: 5.9.2023.

• Wallis Budge. “ID 68: Saint Mary appears to the martyr, Giyorgis Haddis, in prison…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/68. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

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• Wallis Budge. “ID 191: The only son of a king who dedicated himself to Saint Mary…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/191. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

• Augustine Dickinson. “ID 256: Saint Basil cycle: Saint Mary, together with Saints Irene and Sophia, appears to Saint Basil and tells him where her icon is buried…” In Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. (Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project). http://pemm.princeton.edu/story-detail/256. Last modified: 5.8.2023.

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Mark Dawod serves as a Reader at St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Jersey City, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Princeton University and a current student at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, pursuing a career in medicine.

This paper is an adaptation of course work submitted for "Healing & Justice: The Virgin Mary in African Literature & Art," offered by Dr. Wendy Belcher in Spring 2023 at Princeton University.

DossPress.com is a place for Christian men and women to collaborate for the sake of our common edification by sharing their written works. As we strive to uphold a standard of doctrinal and spiritual soundness in the articles shared, we note nonetheless that the thoughts expressed in each article remain the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Doss Press.