A Life of Surrender

   “Our Lady was so holy, so full of grace because she lived her surrender, ‘Be it done unto me according to your word’”. (Saint Mother Teresa, “Thirsting for God: Daily Meditations)

   Our Blessed Mother is the perfect example of how we should live our faith life.  She did not question Gabriel when He told her she would be the Mother of God, she simply asked how it could be since she was a virgin.  Gabriel’s explanation satisfied her.  In faith she readily accepted God’s will for her and conceived the Savior of the world.

   She endured the journey to Bethlehem with Joseph and gave birth to our Lord in a cave.  My priest likes to remind us that placing Him in a trough meant for the feeding of animals perhaps spoke to the fact of His real presence in Eucharist; truly the food from heaven.

   With Joseph and the newborn King she became a refugee in Egypt, escaping Herod’s plans to kill Jesus.  She returned to Nazareth and lived an obscure life for the first thirty years of Jesus’ life.

   When the wine ran out at the wedding at Cana she voiced her concern to Jesus and directed the stewards to do whatever He told them.  Jesus performed His first public miracle; the water became wine.

 

   Mary stood in the shadows as her Son lived His ministry.  She was the first Christian; she lived her live for Jesus.  She was there as He suffered His passion and death.  She stood at the foot of the cross as He died and held His dead, bloodied body in her arms of love.  She saw Him ascend into Heaven to take His rightful place beside the Father.

   I look to Mary as the perfect example of what I wish to become.  I pray that I may have a love of God and depth of faith such as she had.  I ask the Father to make me strong in my devotion as Mary was strong in hers.  I pray that I may be made holy and full of grace as she was.

Father You chose Mary to become the Mother of God.

Through her the Word became flesh.

Help me follow her example in my life.

Make me holy as she was holy.

Amen