MARY — OBEDIENT SERVANT
Source: Kaigsuonan, May 2014 issue, a monthly newsletter of BCBP Cebu South
In the month of May, we celebrate Flores De Mayo to honor our Blessed Virgin Mary. Children look forward to this celebration. For some, it is the time to be able to dress up as angels. Catechism taught us that Mary is the Mother of the Redeemer through her OBEDIENCE. Blessed Virgin Mary is a shining example of OBEDIENCE to all of us.
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be done to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38
Angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary was unexpected and puzzling. But despite Mary’s fear and confusion, she didn’t run from the situation. Instead, she Listened with enough composure to understand the announcement. She only asked a simple question. “How can this be?”
Mary didn’t question God’s call on her life. She only asked for clarification. She wanted to understand how something impossible can happen. When the angel answered her question, she yielded herself totally to God’s plan.
If it happened today- an angel appears to a teenage girl telling her that she is going to have a baby, although she is a virgin and unwed – maybe there would be numerous questions or an exclamation of “No way!” Mary realized the potential problems inherent in God’s mission for her life, yet she didn’t object. Instead, she calmly trusted that if this was God’s plan for her, it must be the best plan.
The bible didn’t tell us what were the reactions of Mary’s parents on the situation. Maybe they were puzzled and reluctant, too. Or maybe they kept Mary away from the public to escape from gossiping tongues.
On the part of Joseph, he was embarrassed by Mary’s pregnancy and planned to leave her by breaking their engagement. When the angel appeared to him in a dream verifying Mary’s story, Joseph also acted in obedience to God’s plan for their lives. I’m sure that Mary, Joseph, and their families experienced the same conflicting emotions that we similarly experience today, which can be overwhelming and life-altering. Sometimes God asks us to do things that bring skepticism and criticism from those around us. Often, obedience to God’s will involves some degree of discomfort.
In our world where obedience is regarded as weakness and a lack of self-assertiveness, the act of Our Blessed Lady taught us an important lesson about humble obedience to our Lord. She is the beautiful model of obedience. She gladly exalted God’s will in her life. We can even say that His will became her will, so much did she yield to it.
In her own stirring example, Mary reminds us that obedience to God is where our treasure and unending happiness lie. By clinging to His will instead of our own, we grow in sanctifying grace, which is the very life of God.
Our Blessed Mother was never tired of obeying her Divine Son. She did everything God asked of her. All that she did was to carry on with intense love and gratitude to her benevolent Creator.
We may ask ourselves, how did Mary understand the importance of obedience? What special insight did she have?
Having been filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, our Blessed Virgin Mary knew what was proper and just. Her decisions were blest because she made them humbly and with reference to the Almighty God and His Eternal Law.
Can our decisions be blest? Yes, if they are made humbly and with reference to the Almighty God. By our daily prayers, frequent and worthy reception of the Holy Sacraments (especially Penance and the Most Holy Eucharist), and regular ads of charity, our minds too will be enlightened. We see God’s grace and do as He wishes.
The virtue of obedience is within our grasp. We turn to Our Blessed Lady and seek for her intercession so that we may behave as she did. Our reward will be like hers: Everlasting Life with the Most Blessed Trinity forever!
