May It Be Done To Me According To Your Word!

As we begin the Advent season and look forward to the day upon which we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, let us contemplate the events that led to up to this most memorable occasion.

Let us first consider our Blessed Mother’s role in God’s plan of salvation, and in particular her eagerness to do His will. Put yourself in Mary’s place, a very young girl from humble surroundings, betrothed to marry a carpenter by the name of Joseph, and suddenly she is visited by a messenger from God who informs her that God has chosen her to miraculously become pregnant with the long-awaited Messiah.

The author of the Gospel of Luke provides a beautiful account of Mary’s response to the surprising news she has just received, and one from which we can all take a lesson.

Given her circumstances, the news must certainly have been alarming. We can only imagine how her mind must have raced with the many consequences she could possibly face as a result of the pregnancy.

But even if fear entered her heart, it was quickly extinguished by her love of God and her desire to do His will. God did not interfere with Mary’s free will to either accept or reject what He called her to do, just as He does not interfere with our free wills in response to His call.

Mary quickly said YES in the most beautiful way, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."(Luke 1:38 NAB)

At this same time, the angel Gabriele also informed Mary of the good news concerning her cousin, Elizabeth’s pregnancy, since it was thought that she would be unable to conceive due to her advanced age. A short time later, Mary would visit her cousin at which time she would give praise and worship to the Lord in what we now know as The Magnificat, which we also find recorded in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55).

What lesson should we learn from Mary’s response? Our Blessed Mother sets the perfect example of how we should be eager do God’s will and respond to His call with a humble, thankful, and submissive spirit.

As we live and grow in our faith, let us put some time into learning more about the importance of the role of our Blessed Mother in God’s plan of salvation.

In the Book of Revelation, speaking of our Blessed Mother, the Apostle John writes of his heavenly vision referring Mary as “a great sign appearing in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” (Rev 12:1 NAB)

Begin reading and learning about Our Lady in SIGNUM MAGNUM translated as THE GREAT SIGN, an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI.