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Saint John said that all things were created in the Word, and the Word was made flesh, and born into this world to be its King. If this plan depended on a King of flesh and blood, then He must be born of a perfect human mother, a perfect human Queen.
Like all other human beings, she, Our Blessed Mother, was made free to love or not to love. So even God’s infinite love would have to depend on her freely choosing to receive it. When she said ‘yes’, even eternity held its breath to give thanks to Mary and the Son that her loving fiat would bring into the world to inaugurate a timeless and heavenly destiny for all who would receive Him.
Someone other than Mary might have broadcast her good fortune to the world, or at least told the news she had just received to the women in her village. Who would have blamed her if she had set out immediately for Jerusalem to tell the great and the good that ‘He who is mighty had done great things in her.’
Humility of Mary
However, instead of rushing off to Jerusalem to be feted by the High Priest and his entourage, she rushed off to visit and serve her elderly cousin, Elizabeth who had also been told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a child. After humbly preparing Elizabeth to give birth to John the Baptist, the man who would herald the coming of her son and his Kingdom, she came back home without any fuss to prepare for the birth of the King of Kings in all humility and without any of the prestige that such an event merited.
Whatever the circumstances that led to Mary giving birth in Bethlehem, He would be born in a stable without any pomp or ceremony, laid, not in a cradle but a manger made for cattle to feed from. It may or may not have been warm enough to give birth in, but the place must have had the stench of all stables where this young mother gave birth to her beloved Son in abject poverty.
Destined for Greatness
Shepherds came to see and give glory to the man born to be King, and the only other royalty to come were three kings from the East. The only king from the West wanted to murder him for daring to threaten his Kingdom. While Herod was planning to murder all other young babies in the vicinity to make sure that none should rival him, the new family had to flee into Egypt like unwanted immigrants. Thus began the life of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour who, after being placed in a wooden manger began a life that would end on a wooden Cross outside Jerusalem.
After the terrible slaughter of the innocents, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph returned from exile in time for the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. It was usually a happy occasion, but the visit was shrouded in sorrow after they encountered a devout and holy man named Simeon. Taking the child in his arms he gave thanks to God that he had lived to see and hold the Messiah who was not only destined to be the glory to Israel but to the whole world whom He would enlighten with the truth. However, Simeon was further inspired by the Holy Spirit to say that the child would be rejected by many who should have received Him, and furthermore, His own dear mother’s heart would be pierced by the sword of suffering.
Who will ever know the indescribable horrors Mary went through to see her Son tortured and crucified to death? Who will ever know the nightmares she suffered before she was assumed into heaven? All this was part of our salvation, for which we must ever be indebted to, and thankful to the Blessed Mother who will always understand and love us, no matter what. No suffering that we will ever be asked to bear will ever rival hers, nor therefore the loving understanding that is always ours for the asking.
David Torkington is a Spiritual theologian who specializes in prayer. Visit EssentialistPress.com to listen to his free ten-part course on prayer and learn more about his new book.