Reflections on Mary’s Fiat

Fiat Mihi Secundum Verbum Tuum: 

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38) 

 

As soon as Mary said these words the Angel departed from her and everything started to go wrong, (if we look with earthly eyes) 

Mary, a young girl, perhaps only a teenager, committed herself completely  to God’s care. 

Afterwards she was threatened with divorce, humiliation and potential social exile. 

Then she had to travel on a donkey nine months pregnant to an unknown town across rough terrain. She was given no warm bed or doctors or nurses to attend the birth of her first child there. Away from family, friends and all comforts she gave birth and the only place she could find to lay her baby was a manger. Beside her child she slept on the bear earth and straw.

Not long after, her child’s life is threatened, along with all the other young boys of Israel, by King Herod who in his jealousy and wrath slaughters the innocents so none will threaten his kingship.

Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus then become refugees in an unknown land ( Egypt) and on returning they have to build their life back from scratch.

Mary lives a humble and simple life, pondering all these things quietly in her heart. 

Then on a trip to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, she loses her beloved son for three days. ( a foreshadowing of what is to come)

As she begins to feel the signs of age, her son leaves the family home and security of paid work to go on the mission He was preparing for all His life. She must have missed him so much and worried about Him as a mother will always worry about their child, however old they are. 

Then her beloved cousin Elizabeth’s son, John is beheaded by Herod. She must have been so devastated and afraid at this terrible news.

As Jesus’s ministry begins to grow out of all control and his list of enemies grows with it. He is even being ostracised by the religious heirs by, the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees. Mary fears that He might be going too far. She must have been so afraid for Him, especially after what happened to John, and with all the political turmoil in the land. 

At some point, Joseph, her dear and Holy protector and spouse passes from this world. We can’t imagine how alone she must of felt.

Then the terrible news. Her precious son, her boy, the joy of her life is to be taken, to be tortured and killed in the most brutal of all ways.

How could she watch? How could she bear it? Yet she stayed with Him to His very last breath.

It is enough to wonder how she never felt abandoned by God. She gave Him everything. And she was given suffering. 

Yet she trusts and trusts and trusts through every sorrow that pierced her heart.

How could she? 

Mary, Mother of Jesus, was full of Grace and The Lord was with her through it all. 

Mary saw it all, ( not through earthly eyes) but  through heavenly eyes. 

Mary knew that true Holiness is always persecuted in this fallen world. 

She knew that God’s Love was real and true and His goodness could be trusted completely. 

She knew this world was a dark glass that obscured the true light. Yet the true light shone even brighter in the dark because it did not come from without but within.

She knew the God Who made His dwelling place a lowly stable, because there was no room for Him in the inn ( the world) makes His home in humble, contrite hearts, in simple hearts, in childlike hearts. 

And for us, her children, this is something to hold in our own hearts and ponder.

When we give ourselves to God. When we trembling, utter our own fiats, we know that it does not mean a broad path of ease but a narrow one of thorns.

Yet we can still trust when the light grows dim because our light does not come from without but from within. When sorrows increase, Grace increases all the more. 

‘Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.‘ 

‘According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul’

‘For He knoweth the way that I take; When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold’