WWMD: What Would Mary Do? (And Why Every Pinoy Needs This Energy RN)

She said "yes" to the wildest plot twist in history. Here's what Mama Mary can teach us about navigating 2025's chaos.

Look, I know what you're thinking. It's December 8, you got a day off work, and now someone's trying to tell you about the Immaculate Conception like you're back in Grade 4 class. But hear me out—because Mary's story hits different when you realize she was basically dealing with the same chaos we are, just with less WiFi and more donkeys.

Today's her feast day, and before you scroll past to check if your Shopee order shipped, let's talk about why the Blessed Virgin Mary is the original icon we didn't know we needed to stan.

Mary: The Original "Just Wing It" Queen

Imagine you're a teenager in a small town. (They did marry young then.) You're engaged, you've got your whole life planned out, and suddenly an angel shows up like "Hey girl, so God has this wild idea..."

No Google to search "what to do when angel visits." No Reddit thread titled "Angel told me I'm pregnant with the Messiah, is this a red flag?" Just pure, unfiltered trust fall into the unknown.

And what does Mary say? "Eto na nga." (Okay fine, the Bible says "Fiat," but that's basically the ancient Aramaic version of "Sige na nga.")

That's the energy. Not "I'm perfectly qualified for this." Not "Let me check my planner first." Just: I don't fully understand this, it's scary, I have questions, pero sige, tara na.

Every Pinoy who's ever taken a job they felt underqualified for, moved to a new city without knowing anyone, or said yes to something terrifying because it felt right—you're channeling Mary energy whether you know it or not.

The WWMD Framework for Modern Life

So what does "What Would Mary Do" actually look like in 2025

When someone cuts you off in traffic: Mary literally rode a donkey to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant and didn't even @ anyone on Twitter about it. You can probably let that Fortuner slide without laying on your horn for three minutes.

When your groupmate doesn't do their part: Mary raised the Son of God while Joseph was basically just vibing as a carpenter. She understood the assignment even when others didn't. Sometimes you just gotta carry the team project and trust the grade will reflect it (or at least rant about it in your GC later—Mary probably would've too).

When family reunions get toxic: Mary watched her son be misunderstood, criticized, and eventually executed while still showing up for him. If she could handle that, you can survive Tita asking when you're getting married for the fifteenth time. Just smile, change the subject, and remember that her patience was supernatural—yours doesn't have to be.

When everything feels overwhelming: Mary had to flee to Egypt as a refugee with a newborn. No grab car, no Booking.com for accommodations, no relatives to crash with. Just faith and one step at a time. Your problems are valid, but you're probably not fleeing a genocide, so maybe take a breath and tackle one thing at a time.

The "Walang Stain" Aesthetic vs Real Life

Here's where it gets real: Mary was conceived without sin (that's what Immaculate Conception means, BTW—it's about her, not Jesus). She was literally walang dungis, no stain, perfect from day one.

And if you're sitting there thinking "great, another impossible standard for women"—same, honestly.

But here's the plot twist: Mary's immaculate nature wasn't about making the rest of us feel bad. It was about showing what grace looks like. She was prepared for her mission before she even knew she had one. She was equipped with what she'd need before the need arrived.

For those of us living in our very stained, very messy reality—spilling coffee on our white shirts, saying things we regret, doom-scrolling at 2am, forgetting to reply to important messages—Mary isn't the flex. She's the reminder that preparation and grace exist, even when we can't see them yet.

You know that feeling when you're going through something terrible and later you're like "wow, I don't know how I survived that"? That's grace. That's the thing that held you together when you should've fallen apart. Mary had it built-in from the start. We get it in pieces, in moments, in small mercies we barely notice.

Mary Would've Been Great on Instagram (But Also Wouldn't Have Needed It)

Let's be honest: if Mary lived in 2025, she'd be the person who:

Never subtweeted anyone even when she had every right to.
Somehow looked good in every photo without trying.
Gave the best advice in your DMs at 3am.
Never made you feel guilty for your life choices.
Actually meant "I'll pray for you" when she said it.
Probably had a perfectly curated but authentic feed.

But also? She wouldn't have needed the validation. She said yes to God's wildest plan without needing it to make sense to anyone else. No "rate my life choices" poll. No "is this a sign?" horoscope check. Just radical trust.

That's the energy we need when we're too busy comparing our behind-the-scenes to everyone else's highlight reel. Mary wasn't performing purity—she was living it. She wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone. She just moved through her purpose with grace, even when that purpose included massive public scrutiny and personal suffering.

The Pinoy Mary: Iba Talaga

Walk around the Philippines and you'll see Mary everywhere—not because we're extra (okay, maybe we're extra), but because we GET her. She's the Nuestra Señora whose procession stops traffic and no one complains. She's the Birhen in your lola's room with fresh sampaguita every day.

We don't just respect Mary—we relate to her. She's the mother who makes things work with limited resources. She's the woman who holds everything together when life makes no sense. She's the one you call on when you've run out of options and words.

Every December 8, we honor her specifically as the Immaculate Conception—the version of Mary that was ready before the story even started. And maybe that's what we need to hear today: you're being prepared for things you don't even know about yet. The grace is already there. The capacity is building.

So... What Now?

You don't have to be immaculate to channel Mary energy. You don't have to be perfect to say yes to the scary things. You don't have to understand the full plan to take the next step.

Today, December 8, 2025, millions of Filipinos will light candles, say prayers, and ask Mary for intercession. Some will go to church, some will just pause for a moment at home. Some will say formal prayers, others will just whisper "Mama Mary, ayoko na" and trust that she gets it.

Because she does get it. She lived a human life, felt human fear, navigated human relationships. She just did it with a level of grace we're all trying to figure out.

So the next time life throws you a curveball and you don't know what to do, ask yourself: WWMD?

Probably trust the process, stay true to her values, keep showing up even when it's hard, and remember that being prepared doesn't mean having all the answers—it just means being willing to say yes anyway.