Mary's "Yes" as a Countercultural Witness to Freedom

"Then Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her." — Luke 1:38

In today’s culture, individualism reigns supreme. Society places immense value on personal freedom and the ability to make choices independently, often rejecting any form of external interference. The rallying cry of "my body, my choice" encapsulates this ethos, particularly when addressing matters of marriage, sexuality, and childbearing.

Against this backdrop, the story of Mary, our Blessed Mother, offers a striking contradiction. Her fiat—her wholehearted "yes" to God—reveals a profound and countercultural perspective on freedom and self-giving.

When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he brought a divine proposal that would utterly redefine her life. To modern sensibilities, this moment might seem like an intrusion on Mary’s autonomy. Here was a young girl, likely with dreams and plans for her life, being asked to surrender them in favor of an uncertain and extraordinary path. God’s request was, by all accounts, unthinkable—a call to bear the Savior of the world through means that defied human understanding.

What makes Mary’s response so remarkable is her freedom. Far from being coerced or stripped of agency, Mary freely chose to align her will with God’s. Her fiat—"Let it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38)—was not a passive resignation but an active, faith-filled embrace of God’s plan.

In doing so, Mary demonstrates that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever one wants but the capacity to choose the highest good. She trusted that God’s will, however mysterious, would lead to a reality far greater than anything she could conceive on her own.

Mary’s "yes" required immense sacrifice. She risked her reputation, her relationships, and her future as she had imagined it. Yet, her choice reflects a profound truth: true fulfillment comes not from clinging to personal desires but from self-giving love and obedience to God.

Mary’s example is a beacon of light in an age dominated by self-centeredness and a distorted view of freedom. Her fiat reminds us that surrendering to God does not diminish our dignity or autonomy. Instead, it opens us to the fullness of life, aligning our hearts with a divine purpose that surpasses human understanding.

In saying "yes" to God, Mary not only brought salvation into the world but also modeled the courage and faith required to live a life of true freedom—freedom rooted in the choice of what is supremely good.

Mary’s story is a timeless challenge. It invites us to examine our own understanding of freedom and to consider what we might gain by offering our "yes" to God. Like Mary, we may not fully grasp the implications of surrender, but we can trust that aligning our will with God’s will lead us to something unimaginably superior—a life transformed by grace and love.