DAY 6: Mother Mary – Let It Be
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘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. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:34-38 ESV
Annunciation by John William Waterhouse, 1914
My Thoughts:
I love Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel. He has just told her that she will be the mother of the long awaited for Messiah of the Jewish people! How do you respond to something like that? Mary shows her faithfulness, humbleness, and obedience in her words: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Wow. ‘Let it be.’ It’s so simple and yet so profound a response. I recently noticed this thought in a Beatles song of all places. In the song Let it Be it says: “When I find myself in times of trouble / Mother Mary comes to me / Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.” This is a very different reaction than Zechariah’s response, thankfully.
Annunciation to Mary by Luca Giordano, 1672
The Catholic Church has revered Mary, the mother of Jesus, for many, many centuries. There is even a branch of theological study devoted to her– it’s called Mariology. And I think that this intense devotion to Mother Mary may be one reason why Protestants don’t give Mary a second thought. But it is worth taking the time to consider her character and her actions. As the Hail Mary rosary prayer states: she was full of grace and the Lord was with her. Or as the pregnant Elizabeth exclaims upon greeting the pregnant Mary, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42 ESV).
While I don’t ask for intercession from Mother Mary, I do want to emulate her as a great example of a godly woman. And I want to treasure the many godly moments I experience, just as Mary did. I want to ponder God’s Word and His activities in my life. I want to be a blessed woman. I want to let it be to me as God will have it.
The Hail Mary: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen”
Prayer:
Eternal God,
as Mary waited for the birth of your Son,
so we wait for His coming in glory;
bring us through the birth pangs of this present age
to see, with her, our great salvation
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
*Banner artwork based on a stained glass window in Clare Church. Photo taken by Barry Slemmings
