Words of Faith: We will bear our Lord into the world

For 2,000 years Christians have honored Mary, the mother of Jesus. Often when you see paintings or sculpture of Mary she is holding the baby Jesus. Sometimes though, you will see a picture of Mary, with a picture of Jesus within her. This symbolizes an ancient name for Mary – theotokis – God bearer.

Mary is the one who literally bore God into the world. Through her body, God was born into our world.

Mary’s story begins as she is preparing for marriage. She is betrothed to a man named Joseph. One day Mary has an extraordinary experience. An angel – a messenger from God named Gabriel – appears to Mary. “Greetings, you are favored by God. The Lord is with you.”

Mary must have been astounded by this and a bit frightened. “Do not be afraid. You have found favor with God. You will conceive and bear a son and name him Jesus He will be called son of the most high and he will reign over God’s people forever, just like his ancestor David.” As good as this sounded, Mary knew there was a problem with this plan.

“How can this be?” she asked.

“The Holy Spirit of God will come upon you and the child born to you will be holy, he will be called ‘son of God’… Nothing is impossible for God” Then Mary responded, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word.”

“Let it be with me according to your word.”

The angel laid out God’s plan. Mary considered it and accepted the call to bear God’s son into this world. Mary had a choice. God doesn’t force his will upon his people. God called Mary to follow him and to use her life to make his son present in the world. And this call wasn’t easy. She became pregnant before she was married and Joseph knew the child was not his. In that culture at that time, she would have been greatly scorned at the very least. Joseph could have refused to marry her. And if the Old Testament laws had been followed she could have been stoned to death. But despite these risks Mary said yes to the Lord. She said yes because she trusted in God. She knew that the Lord would provide. She knew that the Lord had allowed her cousin Elizabeth to conceive a child even though Elizabeth was old. She knew that with God nothing is impossible. And because Mary trusted, Jesus was born into the world.

Mary was the God bearer – the theotokis.

God calls us also to be theotokis, God bearers in this world. Our Lord lives with us. His life with us begins at Baptism when we invite him into our lives. His life is conceived within our own. But then God calls us to share him with others – to take him to those near and far. Just like with Mary, it’s not easy. Sometimes God calls us to do things that challenge us. Maybe we are called to serve others in ways that are new or seem difficult. Maybe we are called to push our limits by reaching out to those different from ourselves. Maybe we are called to give in ways that seem threatening or sacrificial. But God promises that he will be with us and he will provide. Just like Mary, we can trust our Lord. No matter what we face, he will be with us as we seek to serve him.

And as we serve him, God’s presence will be made known in our world. We will bear God into the world through our hearts and hands. When we help to feed the hungry, God will be present. When we listen to those who are lonely, God will be present. When we speak God’s truth – even when those around us resist it – God will be present. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has no body on earth but yours; yours are the only hands with which he can do his work, yours are the only feet with which he can go about the world, yours are the only eyes through which his compassion can shine upon a troubled world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.” As we allow the life of God to shine through us, Christ will be born in our lives.

Then, like Mary, we will be theotokis. We will bear our Lord into the world.

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 1:43 PM with the headline "Words of Faith: We will bear our Lord into the world."