Friday | May 31, 2024
Luke 1:48
…for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
With the Grace of God
If Mary’s acceptance of God’s will for her life makes perfect sense, it’s because we know the rest of the story. Imagine your own response to the angel’s message. I know what I’d be thinking. My unworthiness tops the list, and it’s a long list. Mary calls herself “servant”—that stands out for me and indicates Mary readily understood that God overlooks unworthiness for even the most important jobs. As a devout Jewish woman, Mary knew the legacies of Abraham, Moses and Gideon, to name a few who felt unworthy to be called by God. She also knew that those awaiting the Messiah likely expected royalty, prestige and power. But lowly Mary would not give birth to this kind of king. With the grace of God—the same grace open to all of us—Mary could say “Yes.”
Let us pray for the grace to let go of our feelings of inadequacy and trust in God’s mercy.
- Deborah A. Meister
Zephaniah 3:14-18a or Romans 12:9-16 • Isaiah 12:2-6 • Luke 1:39-56
