Eight Choices of the Blessed Mother Mary

We all have the freedom to choose, the freedom to choose good, to avoid evil, the freedom to love. Pope John Paul II was fond of saying that with freedom comes responsibility. Our choices affect other people’s lives, they can affect many lives. One choice can affect thousands. We need to understand the consequences of our decisions. The question becomes, does someone have the right to choose evil? What happens to a society were one can make a choice and act contrary to nature?

Let’s consider the choices made by THE woman, the choices made by the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is the first woman to speak with Jesus and she has the highest glory in heaven.

The first choice is when Mary chose to present herself to God in the temple at the age of three. She made a gift of herself to God. We may think that this is something a three-year-old could not do, but we don’t know what decisions a person who is full of grace could make. Mary was not only full of grace, but she also had the fullness of her intellect which went along with the fullness of grace. Scientists say that we use only a very small part of our intellect. We have no idea what choices we could make if we had the full use of our intellect. Therefore it makes perfect sense that Mary, who had the freedom of choice and the fullness of grace and intellect, could make such a choice to give herself freely to God. She desired to give herself to God alone. This expanded her heart so that she might become the temple of the Most High. She became the new temple of God who presented herself in the old temple to God. Am I making this choice myself? Do I truly belong to God? Have I truly pledged myself to Him? Do I remain open to the presence of God within?

Mary’s second choice is to enter into the virginal marriage with St. Joseph. Joseph and Mary’s home was a model for the human person. A marriage is to care for the body and soul of the partner, and both Mary and Joseph had respect and reverence for the holiness of the other. How attentive are we to other people’s dignity? Do I respond to the Sermon on the Mount?

Mary’s third choice came in her yes to God’s request that she be the mother of His Son. “Let it be done unto me,” she said. This freely made choice altered us all. The world would never be the same again. By Mary’s yes God was made man in the sacred Temple of Mary’s womb, set aside by God and reserved for His abode; Christ was conceived. This was Mary’s choice. She chose life for Jesus and life for all of us. Mary is called the seat of wisdom. This is not because of anything regarding her intellect, but because on her lap sat Jesus who is Wisdom. She was His seat, the seat of Wisdom. Do I make the choices that allow God to become alive through me? Have we made the choice to let God be present in our homes, in our families, in our friendships? Are we finding Christ through the persons we meet? Are we seeing Christ there?

Mary’s fourth choice was to be a Christ bearer. Each of us can choose to be a Christ bearer. Mary carried Christ to meet Elizabeth. She brought Elizabeth the Incarnate Word. She served her in charity, and the children in the womb of both Mary and Elizabeth greeted one another. John the Baptist must have learned humility from his mother Elizabeth. When Elizabeth greeted Mary, she said, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Her son John the Baptist was to say to Jesus, “Why are you coming to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you.” In the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth, the Queen met the subject and served her. Do we choose to serve others? Do we freely and willingly bring Christ to the world? Do we care for the sick and the poor? Am I a Christ bearer? Do I have this disposition of Our Lady?

Mary’s fifth choice was the choice for poverty. Poverty was a radical choice. Mary left Nazareth to go to Bethlehem, with no idea of what that would mean. She and Joseph chose a stable, a feed box, and swaddling clothes for the Son of God. They made a choice to be refugees when they fled to Egypt. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Mary was poor in spirit. She chose to enter into the painful circumstances and accept them with a loving acceptance. She accepted the rejection of the people of Bethlehem. She responded with Christian charity to evil. She chose to enter the Passion of Jesus and suffer evil with him. Do we choose to embrace the circumstances that are beyond our control? So many circumstances are out of our control. We can accept them freely or we can be angry at them. We can will them to God and choose them as well.

Mary’s sixth choice was the gift of her Son to us all at Cana. She recognized that they had no wine. Jesus said to her, “How does this concern of yours affect me?” He was basically saying that His hour had not yet come, but Mary said, “Do whatever He tells you,” thus saying that His hour had come. These are the last words of Mary recorded in Scripture. The hour was in relation to His death. Mary said yes to her giving of Jesus to us. She said to the world that Jesus will be offered for us. Jesus said, “For this reason I have come into the world.” Mary knew that for this reason she gave Him to us. Are we giving Christ to others? Are we doing whatever He tells us?

Mary’s seventh choice was the choice of the cross. Jesus said from the cross to St. John, “Behold your mother,” and to Mary, “Behold your son.” John took the Beloved Mother into his home. Christ wanted her to become a mother to us all, to all humanity. This was a free choice which Mary accepted for the sake of all the world. The world now has a Mother capable of loving us all. Do I receive Mary as my Mother? Am I making a radical choice to be a Marion person given to our Lady?

Mary’s eighth choice was at Pentecost. There she with Christ chose to give us Mary’s spouse, the Holy Spirit. Luke mentions Our Lady’s presence in the upper room as the Church was being formed. Am I open to receiving the Holy Spirit? Am I eager in working for the Holy Spirit? Am I on fire with love for Jesus Christ? Have I opened my heart to His? Do I allow the Holy Spirit’s fire to blossom forth, to clarify and to come upon me?

Our choices have consequences to the world around us. They radically affect others’ lives. We can accept the presence of Christ in the world and choose the goodness of God. We have been given the gift of free will by God to do good, to love God with all of our heart and to choose to love one another. We can choose to do good and avoid evil so as to love and protect our world.

Transcribed as best as possible from a homily by Father David Engo, FBM