Mary seems thrilled with the announcement that she will give birth to Israel’s long-awaited messiah. Listening to her, you would have to conclude that she couldn’t be happier. I can’t help but wonder, however, whether she would have felt so blessed if she knew what lay ahead for her baby Jesus.

Saint Ignatius, as one of his prescribed spiritual exercises for daily devotions, asked us when reading about one of the biblical personalities to imagine experiencing life from his or her point of view. Imagine being Mary.

Can she envision the incredible upset twelve-year-old Jesus will cause when she and Joseph cannot find him after traveling three days on their way home from Jerusalem? Can she imagine her frustration and confusion when, instead of apologizing, he tells her that he had to talk with the Temple rabbis in order to be about his Father’s business?

Would Mary be joyous if she knew there would be further confusion when Jesus seemingly brushes aside her and his brothers to announce as he does in Matthew 2:50 that “whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister and mother” (kjv)? I imagine it would prove most difficult for Mary to feel blessed if she could picture herself at the foot of her son’s cross while Roman soldiers press down a crown of thorns on his head, drill nails into his hands and feet, and pierce his side with a spear. Might she then regret the joy she feels when an angel announces she will be the mother of the Son of God?