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 pla...