MARY, DID YOU KNOW?

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…’” – Luke 1:46-47 

Imagine all the questions Mary had when the angel, Gabriel, announced to her that she would give birth to Jesus: When will I conceive? What will people say? How could my child be called the Son of the Most High? How should I raise him? Mary could have been racking her brain with these questions, but instead, she was calm. She heard the word of promise, took it into her heart, and sang, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant” (Luke 1:46-48).

Mary faced a perplexing situation. But think of us now—in a pandemic that has been going on for two years and a Christmas season when no one is sure of anything. Our minds are frazzled, and people are getting depressed and screaming at each other on social media. Crime is spiking, store shelves are empty because of problems with the world supply chain, and our economy is being threatened by inflation. With all these problems around us, we surely could learn something from Mary. Think of the questions people are asking now:  Where is God in all this? What does the future hold?  Will we ever return to normal?

Let’s remember what the Psalmist David said:  “My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.  But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content” (Psalm 131:1-2). The truth is that nowhere in the Bible does God say that we are going to have the answers to all the questions that we face in life. But what we do have is a Father who dearly loves us.

Mary didn’t have all the answers to the questions facing her, either. She just knew the few things that the angel had told her and she answered, “I am the Lord’s servant… May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38).  In other words, Mary said, “I receive it, and I trust you, God.”  So, if you had asked her, “Mary, did you know?” she would have responded, “I don’t know everything, but I know this: that God is good, and he will be faithful to take care of me.” Let us say the same today.