It is impossible for us to know with certainty what Mary appreciated through any infused science or knowledge. I suspect that God wanted to preserve her simplicity and innocence as a Jewish maiden in the particular culture where she found herself. She was filled with faith and may have given herself to the service of God’s temple. The Annunciation is a real awakening of her purpose but it would not change who Mary was all along. She does not say that she “will be” God’s servant, but confesses that she has always been “the handmaid of the Lord.” Everything was prepared for this day when she would become the special vehicle for God. She could not save herself but was preserved from sin by our Lord’s saving power reaching backward from the Cross and touching her in the womb of St. Ann. Despite this singular honor, she is quite aware of the vast gulf between the Creator and his creatures. She may not understand but she accepts what God has planned for her. She does not feel worthy because no creature could be worthy of such a favor. Mary’s yes to the angel Gabriel, really her free assent to God, was enabled by her condition of holiness. Otherwise, she could not speak for all mankind. The wound from the primordial rebellion must be healed. It has already happened for this one special daughter.
The actual work and battle must take place in the Paschal Mystery of Christ.
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