Protestants don’t think much more about Mary than that she was the Mother of Jesus. They do not realize that Mary could have said “No.” Instead, Mary chose to be the first Catholic. Mary was baptized when her water broke. That is when The Mother of God became the First Catholic.
When God’s Messenger appeared, Mary could have said “Gabriel, tell God I’m honored that He asked, but this is not a good time for me. I want to go into the housewares business with my own line of color-coordinated clay jars and pots, get married, and, then, have a family.”
That’s what most of us do when faced, for instance, with being Catholic or being more Catholic. “God, thank you for asking, but I have a lot to do.”
That self-serving vanity keeps us from appreciating what Mary did, then and now.
Mary put her faith in God. When the messenger called, she did more than merely believe. Mary obeyed. Mary obediently said “Yes.” to God.
Because Mary chose to obey, the thousands of years of Prophecies could come true. All humanity could read and know that God’s truth was greater than the devil’s lies. The entirety of all that God had done was at risk. Every human soul was in the balance.
If Mary had said “No.”, the devil would have won. Our souls would be his. Eternal pain and torment would be all that any could have.
So, Mary bore Jesus. Her decision to obey allowed Jesus to Found One Church, giving the freedom to choose life to all who would hear “Verily, verily I say unto you thou art Peter and on this rock I build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I give you the keys to The Kingdom of Heaven.”
The Only Church He Founded has provided His Body and Blood at every Catholic Mass since The Last Supper. All of the good that His Church would do for billions of minds, bodies, and immortal souls could be provided because Mary said “Yes.”
We must pray for that same strength. It helps to ask His Blessed and Beloved Mother to request the strength for obedience from Him.
A good beginning: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, please ask Your Beloved Son to grant me the strength to do what is necessary to ever more fully obey His Great Winnowing Command: ‘If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood you do not have life in you.’“
