Mary of Nazareth, woman of care

Abstract

This research focuses on Mary of Nazareth, a leading and supportive woman, a model of care not only for Christians but for all humanity. The figure of Mary conveys important social dynamics, such as overcoming injustices, especially concerning the poor, as the Magnificat so aptly expresses. Care implies an interest in justice and involves the connection among all living beings and everything that corresponds to the balance and preservation of life on the planet, our Common Home. Relationships of care permeate the logic of ethics of alterity and dialogue and underpin the search for alternatives regarding the challenges and difficulties that humanity currently faces, such as social inequalities, the dynamics of a predominantly exploitative economy, and the technocratic paradigm itself, which leads to environmental neglect. Mary constitutes a revolutionary paradigm in her youthfulness, prophetism, and love for humanity, providing new paths in the defense and promotion of the culture of care, in order to think about new relational and socio-environmental dynamics.