When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, his effusive praise caught her off guard:
Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luke tells us that “she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be.” Praise can be hard to receive, and praise from a stranger can be particularly confusing. I can imagine her thinking, “Why is he saying this? What is this about?”
As it turns out, the praise was also an explanation for the prophecy Gabriel was about to deliver: “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Mary responded with dignified humility: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38).
Alma called Mary “a precious and chosen vessel” (Alma 7:10). She would have to be noble to raise the Son of God from infancy to adulthood. She was thoughtful in her calling, pondering the visit of the shepherds, marveling at the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna, and even keeping His words in her heart (Luke 2:19, 33, 51).
The Savior’s first recorded miracle was in response to a request from his mother. (See John 2:1-11.) Some of His last recorded words were to provide for her welfare after His death. (See John 19:26-27.) Jesus loved His mother, and we honor her for her important role in God’s plan.
Today, I will remember and seek to emulate the humility, thoughtfulness, and love of Mary, “the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh” (1 Nephi 11:18).
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