When Mary agreed to be the mother of Jesus, she could never have known all that would be expected of her.
Her “yes” to God’s invitation to be the mother of the Messiah forever changed the course of her life. But as Francis de Sales observed, she constantly reaffirmed that “yes” as she experienced God’s Will - for her son, for her husband and for herself. Each day, she fully embraced the mysterious designs of God imbedded in whatever circumstances she found herself.
We too are called to give birth to Jesus. While not a physical birthing, our call is no less challenging or demanding than it was for Mary. As we see in the life of Mary, giving birth to Jesus is not a one-time event; it is a life-long process.
Saying “yes” to giving birth to Jesus is about being faithful to God’s Will for us and others, one day, one hour, one moment at a time. Giving birth to Jesus is about fully embracing the responsibilities, events and circumstances of the stage of life in which we find ourselves. It’s about traveling over the potholes of life, while remaining steadfast in the conviction that God loves and cares for us.
Mary is a powerful reminder that giving birth to Jesus brings more than its share of inconveniences, headaches and heartaches. At the same time, Mary is also a powerful reminder of how one person’s fidelity to the Will of God can change the world - for the better.
