Mary, a Model for us of the Faithful response

The late Pope Benedict XVI was one of the greatest theological minds the Church ever produced.  He was always looking for understanding to complement his faith.  This applies to Mary as well.  He writes;

Outstanding among the saints is Mary, Mother of the Lord and mirror of all holiness. In the Gospel of Luke, we find her engaged in a service of charity to her cousin Elizabeth, with whom she remained for “about three months” (1:56) so as to assist her in the final phase of her pregnancy. “Magnificat anima mea Dominum”, she says on the occasion of that visit, “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Lk 1:46). In these words, she expresses her whole program of life: not setting herself at the center, but leaving space for God, who is encountered both in prayer and in service of neighbor—only then does goodness enter the world. Mary's greatness consists in the fact that she wants to magnify God, not herself. She is lowly: her only desire is to be the handmaid of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:38, 48). She knows that she will only contribute to the salvation of the world if, rather than carrying out her own projects, she places herself completely at the disposal of God's initiatives. Mary is a woman of hope: only because she believes in God's promises and awaits the salvation of Israel, can the angel visit her and call her to the decisive service of these promises. Mary is a woman of faith: “Blessed are you who believed”, Elizabeth says to her (cf. Lk 1:45). The Magnificat—a portrait, so to speak, of her soul—is entirely woven from threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the Word of God. Here we see how completely at home Mary is with the Word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the Word of God; the Word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the Word of God. Here we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since Mary is completely imbued with the Word of God, she is able to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate.

In the words of the Magnificat we see a unique perspective.  History shows us that most songs lie this are from the perspective of conqueror.  The Magnificat is spoken from the view of the “anawim”, the poor and downtrodden of Rome.  From this lowly societal position, Mary is reflecting on the greatness and power of God.  It is from this position in life that she gave her faithful response to God’s call.  It was not from power, but from lowliness, that she offered her Fiat, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word”.   These words provide us with an everlasting model of a faithful response to the call of God.