“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Lately, I’ve taken what Mary says to heart.
At Mass last week, Father said something that was one of those “very simple and obvious yet completely profound” kinds of things.
Mary said YES.
She didn’t say, “OK, great. I’ll think about it and get back to you,” when the angel told her she was going to have the Son of God. I mean, really, that’s what I probably would have said.
When we talk about discernment, or following God’s will, or whatever you want to call it, most of the time we think about it in these terms: God presenting us with some options, us weighing them for a given period of time, and then making a decision based on what makes most sense or what we’re comfortable with or what fits into our budget/schedule/life plan.
But Mary said yes! Without knowing the plan, without being sure of what it would look like, without having really any idea of how much her life would change...it was risky, it was gutsy, it was totally trust-filled. Mary isn’t the Mother of God and our Mother because she knew all the answers. She is “blessed among women” because she said yes.
God, give me the grace to live so recklessly!
