Mary, Mother of Jesus

Mary was a young virgin engaged to Joseph, a carpenter descended from David, when the angel Gabriel appeared with astounding news: she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, and He would be called the Son of the Highest. Mary's response models faithful surrender: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

Mary's pregnancy must have brought confusion and potential shame, but the angel also visited Joseph, confirming the child's divine origin. When Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, she sang the Magnificat—a song of praise celebrating God's faithfulness to the humble and hungry.

Mary gave birth to Jesus in a Bethlehem stable, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger. She treasured and pondered the shepherds' visit and the prophetic words of Simeon and Anna at the temple. When Jesus was twelve, she searched frantically for Him, only to find Him about His Father's business.

During Jesus' ministry, Mary appears at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus performed His first miracle at her prompting. She also appears among those concerned for Jesus' wellbeing when crowds pressed upon Him. At the cross, she stood watching her son die, and Jesus entrusted her to John's care. She was present with the disciples after the Ascension, praying in the upper room. Mary's life exemplifies faithful obedience through both exaltation and heart-piercing sorrow.