Among all of God’s creation,
the most holy Virgin is the supreme example of synergy or cooperation between
the purpose of God and its accomplishment in man. God, who always respects
human liberty, did not wish to become incarnate without the free consent of her
who through her virtue and by God’s grace was chosen to be His mother. He
waited for her voluntary response: “Behold the handmaiden of the Lord: be it to
me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38). The most holy Virgin could have refused
(and we are not going to speculate what would have happened had she refused). (Emmanuel Hatzidakis, Jesus Fallen? The Human Nature of Christ Examined from an
Eastern Orthodox Perspective [Clearwater, Fla.: Orthodox Witness, 2013], 128)