7. Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary, is, in many ways, the ideal Christian woman. She bears God’s son without complaint, despite knowing all her life that he will be sacrificed to save humanity. When informed by the angel Gabriel that she has been chosen to bear the God’s son, she replies “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” She was witness to Jesus’ great triumphs, including his first miracle in which he turned water to wine at a wedding feast. She also watched her son’s death upon the cross.
While Mary is often upheld for her virginity and purity, she is also recognized for her incredible strength and faith in the face of great suffering. Not only does she lose her son at an early age, but she raises him lovingly throughout his life knowing that he will leave. Mary attends his death despite knowing the pain she will witness as her child suffers in order to save her people for eternity. Through it all, she never forgets or even questions her faith. It is due to this great belief that her assumption, or bodily admittance, to heaven is dogma within the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.