At the Annunciation, Jesus is bodily present on this earth for the first time. Mary's yes was the vehicle for that. St. Maximilian Kolbe calls her the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
There were times when I used to wonder what would have happened if Mary had hesitated, or said no. Sinless though she was, she was still 100% human. Her purity only made it possible for her to be completely open to God, but she still was not forced or programmed. I read in the Magnificat that her yes sprang from an absence of cynicism, and an acceptance of possibility in the face of what seemed impossible.
As limited as my understanding of Mary is, the Annunciation is to me the pivotal moment in history that brings the presence of Jesus alive on earth, and begins the great event of His sacrifice on our behalf. Mary had, if you will, a front row seat to WWJD for 33 years. We adore His presence at Adoration and each Sunday; she was in His presence almost continually. She was already sinless, but all of that proximity to her divine son must have had a radiating effect. As standing in the sun would have a physical effect.
St. Louis de Montfort, in his prayer to Mary, includes this passage:
The only grace I beg thee to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, So be it--to all that thou didst do while on earth; Amen, so be it--to all that thou art now doing in Heaven; Amen, so be it--to all that thou art doing in my soul, so that thou alone mayest fully glorify Jesus in me for time and eternity. Amen.
I say the three Amens often, after receiving our Lord in the Eucharist.
I rest in the fact that I don't have to know everything in order to trust in everything. Mary only ever leads to Jesus. Jesus only ever leads to the Father. The Father's only desire is to see us happy with Him in heaven forever.
Happy Feast day!
Kelly
What if she said no? Perhaps God asked several other women before her and they said no. Perhaps Mary was the one who had the courage. Just got back from our vacation late last night. I'll try to catch up with your posts.
ReplyDeleteMy pondering of that question was more about if she was even able to say no, due to her purposeful creation as a sinless human. God's will is never thwarted, but I highly doubt that any other women were asked!
DeleteThat is my favorite painting of the Annunciation. It captures perfectly Mary's troubled but open heart.
ReplyDeleteIt does! And also her youth. In some depictions, she looks much older than she was when this happened. I also love how she looks like she was just getting out of bed. Many painting have her reading scripture or praying, which I'm sure she did! And I understand the reason for the imagery, but I love how the Archangel Gabriel in this portrayal catches her completely unawares.
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