Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Lk. 1:35)
Mary will know God’s glorious, creative miracle when the Highest overshadows her. She will conceive by the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Holy One of God. This is the same Spirit that hovered over the waters in creation (Gen. 1:2). It is the cloud that covered the tabernacle, filling it with the glory of the Lord (Ex. 40:34). Now this Spirit will bring forth Jesus, Son of God, given by God, formed in the womb of flesh. Born of Mary, conceived by God. A mystery too great to comprehend. This Holy infant, destined to unite God and man, the pure and the sinful, the Holy Spirit and Mary. In His deity He is Son of the Highest, in His humanity He is the Child given by God to man (Jn. 3:16). Given of God; born of flesh. A mystery: forever God and perfect man, the Word in human flesh. What was Mary’s response to the angel’s announcement? “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). Humble, obedient, quiet. She laid herself upon God’s alter in absolute abandonment to God’s will, that He might do in her—and through her—whatever pleased Him.
God gave His Son to the world in a way that was not understood for His thoughts are not our thoughts nor His ways our ways (Is. 55:8-9). Would that we might adopt Mary’s attitude when God reveals His thoughts, His ways to us as we sojourn our path to glory. When the angel Gabriel made the announcement to Mary, she understood immediately what her life purpose was to be. This could only be accomplished after she yielded her will to His will. We, too, are given glimpses into God’s purpose for us. Should we, like Mary, choose to abandon ourselves to it, He will accomplish in us and through us that which pleases Him.
Praise God for His grace. His everlasting love, His patience without end. Today, would you be willing to make even a tiny step toward abandoning yourself to Him that He could accomplish His good pleasure in your life? When you abandon yourself to God, you depart from the world’s value system. Your values become God’s values. It is a positive consecration to God, not a negative separation from the world. Jesus united God and man, the pure and the sinful, the Holy Spirit and mankind. He wants to unite His Spirit with your spirit today. May you be inspired to have Mary’s attitude as you remember “Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child, Holy infant so tender and mild.”