GRACEFUL MARY – Grateful Mother. Mary, Mother of God.
What does it mean that Mary was ‘full of grace’? What are the signs of grace in a person’s life? Knowing Mary from the scriptures and from the angel’s greetings,
we might begin to answer our question with a multiple-choice: Humility- Faithfulness- Devotion? What about mixing them all together?
Grace as Humility.
One of the most obvious things about Mary is her humility. Hence, to be full of grace is to possess humility. Consider Mary’s response to being chosen by God to bear a son. Her response to Gabriel’s announcement is declaring herself as the “handmaiden” of the Lord. She does not respond with prideful self-glorification. She responds in submissive obedience. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” She understands fully her relation to God. Everything she said reflected a sincere and appropriate humility.
Humility is an unpopular word in our culture that prizes self-confidence and pride. Yet, humility is not a synonym for low-esteem. It does not mean thinking less of ourselves than we ought, which is as wrong as thinking more of ourselves than we ought. Humility is simply honesty about our selves in relation to God. When we acknowledge God as the sovereign and ultimate Lord of all, this puts everything else in perspective. We will not think too highly of ourselves because the status of sovereignty belongs only to God. We will not think too lowly of ourselves because we are created in God’s image.
In conclusion, humility involves two realizations. First, I am a sinner who falls short of the glory of God. Second, I am a child of God from whose love nothing can separate me. In other words, we accept our own strengths and weaknesses, whereby accepting also our dependence on God.
Grace as faithfulness.
This might also be for “surrender”. When Mary heard that she was to be the mother of God, she could not have anticipated the full significance of what was happening to her. Let alone the ‘normal’ traumatic challenges and changes that motherhood brings along. Starting with pregnancy onward, a young mother’s life becomes permanently altered. Mary’s life was further complicated by the awesome implications of the angel’s message. Still, her response was consistently one of complete faithfulness – surrender: “May it be done to me according to your word.”
Graceful Mother of God!
Committing o any assignment is normally easier when we know in advance the nature of the circumstances and consequences we will be facing. Mary’s faithfulness to her calling was not based on an ability to anticipate all that lay ahead. There was so much about the future that she did not understand. Mary’s faithfulness was grounded in her simple ( awesome ) trust in God. Being “full of grace” meant being able to place her full reliance in the One who had chosen her. Faithful Mother of God!
Just so, our faith is not based on our knowledge of the future. We do not know what tomorrow holds. Life for everyone consists of a mysterious mixture of good and evil. Bad things eventually happen to the best of us. Faith is a relational word. We do not have faith in something that will or won’t happen, but in Someone. Our faith is in God who will be with us through whatever comes. We are called to be faithful to One who is ever-faithful to us.
Grace as Devotion.
When we read today’s passage from Luke’s gospel, we learn something about the meaning of “full of grace”. The shepherds, on arriving at the crib,
fully understood and realized what they had been told by the angel: “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” On angelic authority the shepherds identified the newborn baby as the long-promised Messiah. Luke says:
“All who head it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.” And what did Mary say or do? She “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.”
Humble, Graceful, Grateful Mary!
To be “full of grace” is to know deep feelings of devotion. Mary was gifted with a rare capacity of loving devotion.