Mary Did You Know?

I'm going to try to avoid heresy here, but in defense of a beautiful Christmas song I want to share
some of my recent reflections and why they are significant.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?
That sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

It stands to reason that Mary knew her baby boy was the Son of God, after all, the angel Gabriel told her. But if Gabriel had to tell her, it also stands to reason that she did not know up to that point.

"But she was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be" (Luke 1:29).

"And Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be since I have no husband?"' (Luke 1:34).

Given these two passages from the Annunciation narrative, it would seem that Mary had no previous knowledge of her vocation as the Mother of God.

The Virgin Mary was betrothed to Joseph at the time of the Annunciation.  It is probable that she expected she would have children, likely a boy or two, not unlike any other family at the time.

What she did not know, up until the Angel Gabriel came to her, boils down to the details in the classic Christmas song, Mary did you know.

This is where the song brings out a beautiful reality, in consideration with Catholic teaching.

Because of her Immaculate Conception, Mary was conceived without the stain of Original Sin. St. Louis de Montfort tells us that this special grace makes her will in such perfect accord with the Will of God, that she can give us anything she wants to because it is impossible for her to want anything that God does not also want.

What this does not mean, however, is that Mary was all-knowing. She evidently did not know she was going to be the Mother of God until it was revealed to her, even though her will was already in accord with God.

This is significant for us and our discernment.

Just because you don't know what God wants for your life doesn't mean you aren't doing or can't do His Will. Discernment is a process in which we utilize wisdom and virtue. If we are growing in wisdom and virtue, we will grow in the amount that we are able to do the Will of God.

Discernment has very little to do with specific knowledge of God's plan, and much to do with general knowledge of the natural order of the world.

If we constantly seek wisdom and strive for virtue, our will will grow in closer uniformity to the Will of God. With wisdom and virtue, even without knowledge of God's specific plan, we can be living in perfect accord with that plan.