Full of Grace

There is a famous prayer in which the help of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is enlisted. As chosen ones go, she is one of the most famous in history. Much is made of the life of her son and the events surrounding her, but what is the understated significance of this woman that should resonate in the hearts of all who believe in the truth of her life?

If you read with me on this story of mine of eclectic tales and images woven together for some purpose supposedly intended toward "international (and perhaps internal) tranquility," you will find many mentions of journeys. Travelers make journeys, but so does everyone with any sort of purpose in their hearts. Journeys, I have found, have been the key to unraveling the mysteries of this life. Due to their nature, they rely upon thought, preparation, dedication, and they often encounter hardship. A good journey accomplishes its stated goal, or in many cases unlocks a precious unknown that could not have been imagined. Either way, something valuable is realized, and an outcome has occurred that would not have been possible otherwise.

Mary was chosen as a young girl to be the mother of God's human form. We could debate whether she was chosen because of who she was or was made who she was because she was chosen. I'm not sure it matters, but what does is that she chose to undertake the awesome journey that was asked of her, and she could only do it because she was full of grace; she was uniquely blessed and bestowed with God's favor. In my mind, she was always "full of grace," because she fulfilled her duty selflessly and with a profound elegance that was beautifully admirable.

Perhaps the matter of her choosing does matter. What if we all are uniquely blessed and bestowed with God's favor? What if we all are chosen, and it's just a matter of answering the call with that same profound elegance? Obviously, we are not all tasked with immaculate conception, but we all are faced with making a response that requires specific dignity and courage at some point. No doubt, how well we journey results in how or if we will be hailed.