But her actions don't indicate she fully comprehended what was happening.
Ping to myself.
Mary, being fully human, could not have known what the future held. Nowhere does any Catholic doctrine proclaim that the Blessed Virgin Mary, when Gabriel visited, suddenly became omniscient. The fact that she did not, does not negate her role in pointing us toward her Son. Which is what she apparently did for the young man who is the subject of the article that began this thread.
She co-operated with God for the benefit of all mankind. She points to Christ as her salvation, and the salvation of all of us. She was the first Christian, and her acceptance and obedience to God Almighty are an example for all humanity.
“But her actions don’t indicate she fully comprehended what was happening.”
I’m not sure why you are making a point that she may not have fully comprehended. She may not have fully comprehended the future of her life, but I’m pretty sure as a mother myself, that knowing the prophecies, she had some inkling of her Son’s future.
She is also prepared by God, The Almighty to bear this holy child. I do not believe that God would not give her not only the knowledge and ability to bear, care, and live with the Son of God, but also a perfect body and soul to do so.
Again, though, Isaiah writes of the “suffering servant, the man of sorrows,” He writes of the physical travails of this man that he will suffer, but not word for word and some veiled. How many stripes? By who? Not noted.
Obviously, she “pondered these things in heart,” Finding in the Temple, you’ll forgive me if I use some shorthand here, when Jesus was 12.
She also encountered not one, but two prophets at Jesus’ Presentation at the Temple, Simeon and Anna.
Mary was told then upon seeing her and the child, “Behold this child is set for the fall and for the RESURRECTION of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted.
And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed.”
The appearance of the angel to Joseph who I’m sure told his bride that, “Hey, this angel dude appeared to me in the dream and told me to take you and the kid and vamoose into Egypt,” is another key to her state of mind and her thoughts of this extrordinary child and her state.
I think she had a very good idea of what was happening and being warned that her heart would be pierced was a good indication to her that this would end in sorrow for a time.
I want to know your thoughts. Why are you attempting to determine her state of mind?