Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Theotokos, Madonna, Mother of God, Mary of Nazareth. These are just a handful of the titles given to Mary, the mother of Jesus. If you’ve ever walked through a world class art museum you’ll know how varied the renderings are of Mary as an icon in Christian devotion. The mystic and theologian Bernard of Clairvaux wrote about Mary like this: “God’s decision to indwell in Mary and her consent to this decision made the incarnation, and therefore redemption, possible.” This Advent we’re exploring Mary’s story as it comes to us through four snapshots in the gospels, trusting that her narrative can walk with us in our Advent longing, waiting, and wondering. Advent, after all, means “coming.” What better way to prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christmas than to look to Mary, the woman who agreed to let God come through her so that God could come to us in Jesus.