“Behold I am a handmaid of the Lord let it be done to me according to your word.” Lk 1:38
Mary said this to the angel Gabriel when asked to be the mother of God. Yes. She said yes even though she did not know what would happen next or the entirety of what was being asked of her. How amazing is that? She trusted in God’s plan for her and was blessed abundantly. She was preserved from sin, entered heaven body and soul and became the mother of us. Yes, she did suffer; heck she saw HER SON DIE FOR US. But she never stopped saying yes.
Now you may be thinking: “This is real great, Abby, but what does this have to do with Feminism?” The answer is everything. We cannot become Godly women unless we say yes to God. Easier said than done, right? With the grace of God we can do it. What works for me is waking up every morning and saying “God I offer myself to you.” And he does not fail me. But I have noticed that the days when I don’t say this; when I want to “do my own thing” everything goes wrong. God will love us whether we choose to love him or not. I can assure you though that you will be happier and fulfilled if you say yes to Him. Sometimes saying yes can seem downright impossible. The world certainly wants us to say no. No to being genuine women of God. No to fertility (birth control), no to fashion (immodesty), no to self-respect (sleeping around), etc. We are expected to be parts for men to use. This is is false liberation. What is really liberating is knowing your dignity in God and using your beauty to better the world. That’s what Mary did, let’s do it too.
Bella Regina 