The Lodestar

In Christian traditions, Mary is celebrated as “Theotokos,” meaning “God-bearer,” for carrying Christ in her womb. Mary, the mother of Jesus, lent her womb for the Son of God to be born as any human baby, though the Holy Spirit conceived him.

For that wonder to happen, for God to incarnate as a human to atone for the sins of the world on the cross, someone had to lend their womb. In that womb, the embryo would turn into a foetus and into a baby over the nine-month term. Christ’s identification with the sinful world so that he can substitute for their sins began in Mary’s womb, where he put on the human garb.

When the angel announced that God had chosen her to be the bearer of Christ incarnate, Mary knew she was risking her proposed marriage with Joseph, her own reputation, and taking on the responsibility of raising a son who would be the world's saviour. She was a young virgin, quite unlike her cousin Elizabeth, who was married but childless for many years.

But she was willing to be the “theotokos.” So she responded to the angel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” In Greek, the word “servant” means “a bondservant” or a slave committed to taking orders from her master. The bondservants do not live for themselves but exclusively for their masters.

The reason for choosing Mary to be the “bearer of the Godchild” was not her holiness. She was an ordinary young, unmarried girl. She was not an ascetic but committed to a marriage. She never lived an ascetic life after giving birth to Jesus, but continued in the marriage with Joseph to have a few more children. But he stood out in the crowd for her willingness to surrender to God's will in her life. She said, “Let it be to me according to your word.”

Her obedience and willingness to surrender to God’s plan for her life made the first Christmas possible. So, Christmas reminds us of obedience and surrender to God’s plans for our lives.

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