At least one time God was not in control… The Annunciation.

“Let it be done according to Thy Will.” That is the Magnificat, the statement of faith made by Momma Mary in Luke 1:38. It is a profound moment that was the lynch pin moment in Salvation History. The feast of the annunciation is also known as the day of the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth was conceived the same moment as Mary saying Yes. Centuries of prophesies were building up to Mary’s “yes”. What would happen if Mary would have said “no?”

In the Roman Catholic Church, Mary has a significant devotion called “Hyperdula.” Mary holds a prominent place in Church Tradition and Salvation History. Regardless of our own personal belief, it is undeniable that Mary is the Mother of God. Jesus is God. Mary is the Mother of Jesus. As Ephesus said so long ago, Mary is the mother of God; the Theotokos (God bearer). However, Mary herself is human; absolutely 100% human.

Mary has no divine power. No divinity within her. Any worship of her is idolatrous and against God’s Will. If she merits any type of devotion (not worship), then it is because of how she “magnifies the greatness of the Lord.” Mary’s will is perfectly aligned with God’s Will. God’s Will exceeds Mary’s. But whatever Mary wills and desires is perfectly overlapped with God’s Will and Desires. Mary’s obedience is a human achievement made possible by God’s Grace reserved for the Mother of God. Mary is venerated because she is a human that truly obeyed God’s commandments. Of course, such a person should be our model; our star of the sea that guides us to her Son Jesus.

The Annunciation makes evident one of the most challenging teachings of the Catholic Christian faith: God gave us free will. Mary freely accepted the gift of bearing the Son of God. Mary was not controlled, brainwashed, coerced, threatened, manipulated, or tricked into agreeing to bear the Son of God. Mary chose to become the Mother of God for her own reasons which happen to be perfectly aligned with God’s Will. This is difficult to believe because so often we wonder what would be if Mary were to have said no?

If God wanted Jesus to be born, then it seems ludicrous to have the entirety of Salvation history to hinge on a young maiden. Ludicrous though it may seem it is what happened. The Almighty All Powerful All Knowing God left the salvation of the human race to a young girl. In our day of pro-choice, it’s all to easy to imagine a young girl not willing to bear the burdens of motherhood. Let alone a pregnancy that would lead to outcast and shame like Mary’s did. On one hand, imagining what would have been if Mary said no is a waste of time because it is simply not how history played out. On the other hand, salvation history could have been completely destroyed.

If Mary said no, then some theologians might try to theorize how God could still deliver us from our sins. Could the answer very well be that Jesus would never come? That Mary truly was chosen to be the Mother of God and if she were to have said no then no other women could replace her. If Mary said no, then it’s possible that humanity was doomed to be forever separated from God. The harm caused by the Fall would never be satisfied by Jesus sacrifice on the Cross.

The profoundness of Mary’s YES is further highlighted by the devastation of her saying no. The devastation is so grave that it is much more palpable to fall into heresy than to believe that God truly gave Mary the free will to be THE LYNCH PIN in Salvation History. It is far easier to accept Mary as a puppet of God. That Mary was given irresistible promptings by God that made her say yes. Or that Jesus’s birth would have happened to some other girl from the line of David. That God had a back up plan for Mary to say no. Because to some the idea that God’s plan could be thwarted by a girl who said no is untenable.

I say if we truly want to appreciate God’s love for mankind, then we must accept Mary’s free choice of her Magnificat. God has made us in the image and likeness of the Trinitarian God. We humans have been given intellect, free will, and means to grow in knowledge/virtue. Since Genesis, God intended to walk with us in the garden of Eden. The possibility of being in relationship with the One True God is the default of our humanity, not the exception.

Mary’s yes gives us witness to the capacity of mankind to be in right relationship with God. Mary truly is the New Eve that ushers in the New Adam. She is the Mother of God and she has been mother to us all since John 19:27, “Then [Jesus] said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” Without her yes, the Gospel story could not have been written as we know it today. Yes, we Catholics have a devotion to Mary. She is our mother meant to guide us to her Son Jesus. Mary, pray for us!