In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. -Luke 1:26
I heard a couple of theologians talking about this Sunday’s gospel, and I had to laugh at their comment about how it feels like Mary’s just in her room minding her own business when an angel shows up and starts “mansplaining” things to her. Mary hardly gets a word in edgewise, and when Gabriel is done telling her how it’s going to be, he doesn’t ask for her consent. One commentator said she always finds this passage troubling, because it makes you wonder if God would just go ahead and impregnate Mary whether she said yes or not, which is not a particularly good example of mutual consent. And indeed, this passage has often been used to keep women and girls ‘in their place,’ and has defined the standard of a good and faithful woman to be one who is always submissive, agreeable and obedient, no matter what is asked of her. No matter what is done to her.
That is not the lesson I think this story was meant to convey. Mary is in a troubling situation. For a very young, unmarried woman, finding herself pregnant in Mary’s time and place could result in being shunned or stoned by her community - destitution or death. But Mary has a robust trust in God as she moves forward into an unknown future. Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” This is Mary’s yes to how her life is unfolding, even though it is an impossible situation.
Sometimes people think Mary is the highest example of faith because she was able to truly believe things that are practically unbelievable. A virgin birth? I can’t even remember how many people have said to me they can’t possibly believe such a thing. It’s an odd doctrine, another that has had many ramifications for what it is supposed to mean to be a woman.
I don’t think Mary is an example of blind faith because she meekly accepts everything dished out to her no matter how unreasonable. I think Mary is the highest example of faith because she trusts God to guide and lead her, even in unbelievable and unreasonable situations. Somehow, Mary trusts that in the joy of carrying a beloved child, God has given her the keys to the kingdom. Her famous song, the Magnificat, in which she expresses feeling lifted up by God despite her powerless, lowly position in society prefigures the beatitudes of Jesus. The Magnificat always makes me realize that Jesus learned a lot about faith from his mom.
The truth is, we don’t always don’t get the chance to consent to everything we’re given in this life. We don’t choose who we were born to be. We don’t get to choose many of the things that happen to us. We may say no, no, no, but it might still happen. But we can still nonetheless say yes to life with and in God. And with Mary’s guidance, we can trust that with God, nothing is impossible.
