Une Minute avec Marie
Faire connaître et aimer Marie
The humility of the Virgin Mary before the moment of the Annunciation is often overlooked. We usually stress Mary’s humble response to the Angel announcing that she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior. And of course we should do so. But we do not think about the years of her life leading up to that moment, from the time she was born. As the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s whole life had been sinless, and remained sinless after the Annunciation. But while the Annunciation and her life spent next to Jesus enlightened her understanding, it wasn't the case before that, a fact that is revealed by the surprise she expressed.
Before this announcement we have a person, a child and young adult, who does not sin but who apparently has not received any revelation explaining her exceptional situation. Now, unless we suppose that Mary was unaware or unthinking, she could not have failed to notice, at least slightly, that she was profoundly different in this respect from all the people she might have known and met, even saints, such as her parents Anne and Joachim, who must have seen the same thing.
This is where the most important dimension of her immaculate soul lies: in being free of pride or vanity. For while she knew that she was different, she did not see herself as being exceptional.
On the other hand, each of us has a built-in mechanism that deflates our pride, which is our main sin: the awareness that we are sinners. We all commit faults or evil actions that contradict our positive self-image, and we know it. And knowing it humbles us and makes us admit that we need God's grace.
This highlights Mary's greatest merit. Other than the fact that she never sinned, it is remarkable that she did not take credit for it, and instead gave all the credit to God.