Mary was originally theoretical to me – then I had a baby.
Four kids and seven grandchildren later, my love of Our Lady has moved from my head into my heart. No longer a statue on a shelf, Mary is my tender, loving, living mother, embodying what I need to know about being a woman.
Our first baby was born in 1988. But it was 22 years later that I consecrated myself to Jesus through Mary. 22 years! To be fair, in 1988 I had never heard of consecration; I consider it a grace from God that He made sure I eventually learned about it.
But I do remember that the gift of our baby brought an immediate transformation in prayer and, particularly, a renewed love of the Hail Mary prayer. I had such a strong desire for my baby to eventually be able to pray it, just like my mom made sure that I knew how to pray it. I now see that as a beautiful sentiment, as the beginning of a journey.
Those 22 years were really a long revealing of a plan for me that I was not even aware of. This article would become a book if I laid out each step, so I will highlight the one transformation that seems to have the greatest influence on my mission today: Shortly after making my consecration, Mary “introduced” me to St. John Paul II’s beautiful teaching on the human person – theology of the body. This sparked a life-changing growth in my understanding of my identity in Christ, and my identity as a woman.
For me, Mary has become the perfect role model of authentic Christian femininity. Her blueprint is founded on two attributes: receptivity and fruitfulness.
Receptivity
“May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
Mary teaches us how to receive God’s Word; at the Annunciation Mary said “yes.” I have published three books (was afraid to do it) and spoken publicly many times (REALLY afraid to do it) because of Mary’s “yes.”
Today’s culture seems to hate receptivity. It would rather “liberate” women from the “tyranny” of their biology which centers them on motherhood. We are told that we should be more “like men,” that children are a burden, that motherhood inhibits our ambitions. Sterilization, contraception, and abortion are declared necessary tools.
St. John Paul II spoke out strongly against this: “In recent times some trends in the feminist movement, in order to advance women’s emancipation, have sought to make her like man in every way.” However, as the Holy Father proclaimed, “Woman’s identity cannot consist in being a copy of man” (General Audience, 1995).
Thank you, Holy Father!
God, make me more receptive to your will!
Fruitfulness
“The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14
Mary is the ultimate model of fruitfulness because her fruit was rooted in self-gift. Mary’s “yes” was a total gift of herself to God, not even caring the sacrifice that it might entail.
In studying Mary’s self-gift, I committed to offer myself more fully as a gift to my husband, my family, my friends, and the Church.
It has not been a straight and easy path! Satan apparently did not want me to live out a mission of fruitfulness. Each successful effort I made to give with no counting of cost was soon met with a relapse or some other difficulty. As I reflect on the struggles that I experienced in the earlier days, I recognize that they brought me even further into reliance on prayer. Especially a deeper commitment to the daily Rosary.
God, make me more fruitful according to your will!
Our own fiat
Mary shows us that through receptivity and fruitfulness a woman achieves her natural fulfillment. Woman is not intended to isolate herself or live only for herself. She is called to make a gift of herself in the service of others.
Following my consecration to Jesus through Mary, my love for them could not be contained. It has led to inward and outward changes that are still shaping me into a new creation. And I love it and the deep joy it brings me.
This time of Advent has such a focus on the Blessed Mother and her fiat. For any woman confused by the culture’s misguided notions of femininity, this is a wonderful time to follow Mary in praying about giving God your own fiat: Lord, help me develop into the woman you created me to be. Because that is where you, like me, will find joy.