Mary is the beloved daughter of the Father because she received his love and freely and totally loved in return. The Father has many daughters, but only one that is his beloved. By grace she is more open to his revelation, more responsive to his initiatives, more submissive to his will.

As the beloved daughter, she heard the word of God and ponder it in her heart.  She was a woman of intimate silence and contemplation. She is a woman of very few recorded words, since her communication was more interior than verbal.

As the beloved daughter of the eternal Father, her love response was agape love, the love God has for us and asks of us in return. It is a total other focus love. Only when God is seen and responded to as the beginning and end of one’s life, can one respond with agape love. This is the love Jesus called forth from his committed disciples. This was the love Mary received from the Father and responded to, as perfectly as any human being can. Mary is our role model in our relationship with the Father.