Mary, with her yes, leads us on our faith pilgrimage. Her strength comes from her humility and obedience to God. From the beginning she was "the handmaid of the Lord". As her first act she doesn't protest, she doesn't complain, she doesn't look for attention, but she trusts God and goes with haste to support her kinswoman, Elizabeth. Elizabeth greets Mary "blessed are you among women". Mary replies by pointing towards her son with her Magnificat.
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on his servant in her lowliness. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name: And his mercy is from age to age on those who fear him. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud-hearted, he has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever." (Lk. 1 :46-55)
Saint, Pope John Paul II wrote a beautiful encyclical on Mary's role as our spiritual model. The complete text is filled with examples of Mary's heart for Jesus and us as her spiritual children. https://www.ewtn.com/library/encyc/jp2mothe.htm
From the encyclical, this is the kind woman I aspire to become.
"This Marian dimension of Christian life takes on special importance in relation to women and their status. In fact, femininity has a unique relationship with the Mother of the Redeemer, a subject which can be studied in greater depth elsewhere. Here I simply wish to note that the figure of Mary of Nazareth sheds light on womanhood as such by the-very fact that God, in the sublime event of the Incarnation of his Son, entrusted himself to the ministry, the free and active ministry of a woman. It can thus be said that women, by looking to Mary, find in her the secret of living their femininity with dignity and of achieving their own true advancement. In the light of Mary, the Church sees in the face of women the reflection of a beauty which mirrors the loftiest sentiments of which the human heart is capable: the self-offering totality of love; the strength that is capable of bearing the greatest sorrows; limitless fidelity and tireless devotion to work; the ability to combine penetrating intuition with words of support and encouragement."
The seven sorrows of Mary give us a model of courage and perseverance.
When you compare Mary's model of femininity with the current women's movement protestors the differences are striking. The women marching with vulgar signs and knitted pink hats claim to be working to support women but they have a distorted truth that is full of anger as they advance their true cause abortion and hate for anyone who does not agree with their agenda that us clearly not inclusive of all women's values. Mary is obedient and humbly points towards her son, Jesus. Mary has a quiet inner strength that she draws from her faith and trust in God. As woman we need to choose carefully the models we desire for ourself and the young woman who are our future.
This is a vision of motherly love and strength.
"Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator!"
Amen.