Mary's 'Yes'

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation.  This narrative from Luke's Gospel shows a young, yet faithful, Mary affirming God's call to be the mother of our Lord.  Her affirmative answer fulfills the vocation chosen for which she has been prepared.  It is also important to note that she does (and cannot) fully appreciate what her 'Yes' will mean to her, or to the world around her.

This can be sort of unsettling for us who like to have every moment of our life planned out.  We do not leave a moment unscheduled.   Placing our trust in God's care and providence is hard to do, because we like to be in control.  There was a T.V. show early in the morning the other day which showed a Benedictine monastery during Holy Week.  One of the monks summed up the difficulty that some have with monastic life in that monks do not define themselves as teachers, or librarians, or gardeners, per se, but first and foremost as monks.

It is appropriate that we celebrate this feast on the day after Divine Mercy Sunday, a the end of the Octave of Easter.  Placing our whole lives in the hands of God can be unsettling, but we have the assurance of God's love and mercy present to us as a source of strength and courage.  As many people know I like the series Jesus Freaks.  The stories of these men and women who are thrust into the role of faith leaders demonstrates the powerful effects we can conjure up when we entrust our lives to God.  God's faithfulness and love lend us the words and strength to do good and holy things.

In spending our time with Mary proclaiming the good things God has done for us, we draw closer to our God and gain insight into the life of the Father.  God continues to do good things for us, and we are part of that story.