Jesus, I accept to learn from your Mother

Today is Monday, the day of the joyful mysteries. Let us therefore meditate on the first joyful mystery: the Annunciation, whose fruit is humility:

Mary is about 14 years old. She is in Nazareth in the year 0, a period of Roman peace (Pax Romana). She pauses her work and thinks about her engagement to this man named Joseph.

The archangel Gabriel interrupts her quiet thoughts. He announces to Mary: "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God (Lk 1:35)." Mary understands that she will become pregnant, but not by Joseph, and that the child's name will be Jesus.

She responds to the archangel's announcement by accepting to change her personal plans, so that God's plan may be carried out, without really knowing what it will entail.

Because she fully trusts God, she answers "Fiat", unhesitantly. She knows, however, that the Jewish law will look at her as an adulteress, and could condemn her child to death and herself to stoning (Leviticus 20: 10 and Deuteronomy 22: 22).

Without her faith in God, and if she had lived in our times, Mary might have said:

"Why me, and not another girl, maybe one from Jerusalem? Why now? I have a better plan, Gabriel: How about in a year's time when I am married to Joseph?  Why propose such a dangerous plan to me? Do you want to have me stoned, Gabriel? You know that any woman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock can be stoned to death with her child according to the Law. I have a better plan than this project of God! You understand, my friend Gabriel, don’t you?"

But with the humble eyes of faith, hope and love, we are able to say:

"Lord Jesus, I do not understand your plans, but I trust you, because I know that you love me; Jesus, I accept your plans for me. Jesus, I accept to learn from your mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary."

Meditation written by Regis and Nicole Burrus