When people ask me about Mary’s role in the birth of Jesus, I often sense that the question comes from a quiet place of wonder. Why would God choose a young, ordinary woman for such an extraordinary moment? And what does her “yes” truly mean for our faith today? This question is not only about history—it touches how God still works gently in our own lives.
In the Gospel, we meet Mary at the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel announces God’s plan. Mary is not powerful in the eyes of the world, yet she is rich in faith. Her response—“Let it be done to me according to your word”—is one of the most courageous acts in Scripture. Through her free and trusting consent, God the Son takes flesh and enters our human story. Mary does not create the miracle, but she welcomes it with her whole heart.
The Church teaches us that Mary is truly the Mother of God because the child she bears is Jesus, fully human and fully divine. In carrying Jesus in her womb, nurturing Him, and giving birth in humility at Bethlehem, Mary becomes the living bridge between heaven and earth. Her role is not to draw attention to herself, but to lovingly offer the world its Savior. Everything about her points us to Christ.
For us today, Mary’s role continues to speak softly but powerfully. She teaches us how to say “yes” when God’s plan feels unclear, how to trust when the road ahead is uncertain, and how to carry Christ into the world through love, patience, and faith. When we welcome God into our lives as Mary did, even our ordinary days can become places where grace is born.
Reflection
May Mary’s quiet faith teach us to trust God with open hearts. And like her, may we carry Christ gently into the world, allowing His light to be born anew through our lives.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
