LET’S FOLLOW HER EXAMPLE
The Church honors Mary under all sorts of different titles. In this we recognize the extraordinary broadness of her appeal to people. Some will honor her for one particular trait in her life and others will choose something else or be inspired by yet another. The thing that appeals to me most about Mary is her conviction to see through her call to the end without faltering in faith.
We live in a world where the goal of society seems to be for more and more comfort. Mary’s life speaks of exactly the opposite — pregnant out of wedlock, not welcome anywhere in Bethlehem to give birth, and many other situations. Her constancy of faith, whether in trial or not, is very inspiring to me. As I reflect on my own life and recognize within a reluctance to embrace a deeper call of sacrifice and self-denial, my mind often moves to think of Mary’s life. And then it becomes clearer to me that it is possible to embrace the deeper call if I am willing to surrender more deeply in faith to God’s will as she did.
Mary’s life is a standout among all examples of discipleship for the way in which she surrenders to God’s will, something that must have seemed almost ridiculous as well as impossible on first hearing it from the angel. However, all that the angel said happened, and more besides that, and Mary’s life of surrender to God deepened each day to the point that she was able to endure His passion and death. I have a suspicion that she had an inkling that Jesus’ death was not the end. I am sure she did not have secret access to God’s will, but with a mother’s intuition, she may have realized there was more to His life than death; that Jesus’ death was not the final word in this chapter of her life.
Reflection Question:
As we seek to embrace God’s call on our lives, let us open our hearts in surrender to God’s mercy and love for this is the only way we can receive the grace we need to follow His will. And we need all the grace and help we can get!
Jesus, You were born of the womb of the Virgin Mary. Your whole life is caught up in the mystery of God’s love for His people. Help me to embrace His will so that I may live in imitation of You.
St. John Kemble, pray for us.
