{"id":7626,"date":"2025-12-01T08:00:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T00:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7626"},"modified":"2025-12-08T08:11:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T00:11:54","slug":"351-marys-faith-and-submission-are-not-without-fear-and-terror","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.jeffangiegoh.com\/?p=7626","title":{"rendered":"352. Mary\u2019s Faith and Submission Are Not Without Fear and Terror"},"content":{"rendered":"

28\u00a0<\/sup>And he came to her and said, \u201cGreetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.\u201d\u00a029\u00a0<\/sup>But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.\u00a030\u00a0<\/sup>The angel said to her, \u201cDo not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God<\/span>.\u00a0[Luke 1: 28-30<\/span>, NRSV<\/em>]<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\" <\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[L] Annunciation by Botticelli, 1489. [R] Ecce Ancilla Domini<\/a>!<\/em>, Dante Gabriel Rossetti<\/a>,\u00a01850.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the day of the Annunciation, God burst into Mary of Nazareth’s life through Angie Gabriel. God broke into her thoughts, plans, hopes, and dreams and invited her to trust with her entire being that she would be the mother of the one <\/span>\u00a0who “will be great and will be called Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:32). Failing to capture the power of this stunning encounter, classical paintings on the Annunciation have mostly depicted a serene and accepting Mary. However, there are also classical art which helpfully feature realistic emotions of reluctance, doubt and confusion, even outright fear and terror on the part of Mary, as portrayed in the two works here.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is good and human that Mary is \u201ctroubled\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is perfectly good and human that Mary\u2019s faith and submission are not without fear and terror.<\/em><\/strong> Scripture, in fact, testifies to that, as Luke supplies two important details. In one, at the angel\u2019s greeting, Luke reports that \u201cshe was greatly troubled<\/em>\u201d<\/strong> [Lk 1:29]. In the other, not only was she described as terrified, but she was even greatly perplexed as well. So she asked, \u201cHow could this be?\u201d [Lk 1:34].<\/span><\/p>\n

By the grace of God, she could overcome her fear and perplexity and accept God\u2019s will with her famous fiat<\/em>, her “decree” commonly translated as her \u201cyes\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord <\/em><\/strong>is<\/u><\/strong> with you<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In some ways far more significant for our daily Christian living, Scripture also says something about Mary\u2019s life<\/em> for our instruction! To extract this, a bit of careful reading is required. For angel Gabriel actually says: \u201cThe Lord is<\/u><\/em><\/strong> with you\u201d. He does not say what we are more commonly used to hear, that is, \u201cThe Lord be<\/em><\/span> with you\u201d which is an expression of fervent desire, or blessing that God\u2019s presence, guidance, and support be with the recipient, especially in times of need, work, or worship. The significance of the Angel saying \u201cThe Lord is<\/em><\/strong> with you\u201d points us to the reality of constant\u00a0 spiritual wellbeing in Mary\u2019s life, and that in her mundane daily routine, she was already<\/em> dwelling<\/em> in the peace and presence of God long before His angel ever showed up.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Christian living: Scriptures draw us to follow<\/em> Mary and make a commitment to cultivate diligently in our hearts<\/em> and in our daily lives <\/em>the constant presence of Christ, through prayers, Bible reading, healthy Christian reading coupled with conversation on religious topics, and conscious dwelling in God\u2019s presence. A simple but significant practice recommended by a cloistered monk to a friend of ours who is daily burdened by work in the office is to place one\u2019s right hand over one\u2019s heart every now and then throughout the day. This simple gesture is a conscious and intentional stirring of the body, mind, and heart towards constantly remembering God. It articulates, silently<\/em>, a desire to draw near to the Source of life, to all that really matters even when the world is falling apart around us, and feeling His presence. You do not have to say anything. Just a conscious gesture. It can work wonders for you!<\/span><\/p>\n

Let it be done to me<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The world-changing significance of Mary\u2019s Fiat <\/em>(\u201cLet it be done to me<\/em>\u201d) is well known. Without her willing acceptance of God\u2019s will, the divine plan for salvation could not be set in motion. Perhaps an aspect of significance a little less spoken about in this regard is that what Mary did in willingly uttering her fiat has to do with her exercise of human freedom.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

In salvation, God seeks human collaboration. It is not<\/u><\/em> all up to God. God does not<\/em> do everything. We<\/em> have a role to play and this is a point that deserves to be studied well. Here is where Pope Benedict\u2019s insights are most useful.<\/span><\/p>\n