Vatican City, Dec 24, 2017 / 06:23 am
With Christmas just a day away, Pope Francis said Mary's humble and modest response at the announcement of Jesus' birth reflects what our own attitude should be regarding God's plan for our lives as we prepare for the incarnation.
In her response to the angel during the Annunciation, Mary's attitude "perfectly corresponds to that of the Son of God when he comes into the world: he wants to become the Servant of the Lord, putting himself at the service of humanity in order to fulfill the plan of God," the Pope said Dec. 24.
By saying "I am the handmaid of the Lord," Mary "perfectly reflects" the words of Jesus himself, who in the Gospels tells God the Father that "I come to do your will."
"In this way Mary is revealed as a perfect collaborator in the plan of God, and she is also revealed as a disciple of her son, and in the Magnificat she is able to proclaim that 'God has exalted the lowly,' because with this humble and generous response she has obtained a high joy, and even the highest glory."