Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
The Annunciation to Mary is also our annunciation. God reveals to Mary a profound mystery, the greatest Gift He can offer - His Son. But it also gifts Him to us and through us to others.
What is striking in Luke's description is God's delicacy and respect for humanity. When the angel Gabriel announced the good news to Mary, God fell silent. Theologians present various hypotheses about what might have happened if Mary had refused God's request. He would likely have found another way to save humanity. But He did not have to, because He had already found Mary. He prepared her, formed her, and did not allow any sin or even the smallest evil to touch her. Certain masterpieces can only be created by God. Mary is the greatest masterpiece; she is full of grace. She is regarded by God Himself as the living temple of His presence in the world.
Mary is free, just like all of us. That is why God is waiting for her response. While the angel remains silent and waits for an answer, Mary, the thoughtful Virgin, reflects on the doubts that arise. "Immaculate" means free from sin, but not free from questions, doubts, hesitations, temptations, or suffering. Mary is a human being like us, and she must navigate her path with the support of her own faith. She will also face many questions in her life. She will seek light in the dark and learn to recognize God's everyday events and signs. Her "yes" in Nazareth signifies her consent to the unknown.
Mary trusted God completely; she entrusted herself immeasurably to His word and His Providence. She accepted the mystery and all the consequences of her decision. "Here I am, the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word." These words, which signify perfect obedience, involve the total surrender of life to God's will. They also serve as a prayer of complete self-entrustment to God, of offering oneself.
The most important aspect of a relationship with God is trust. When we say "yes," explanations, knowledge, and understanding will follow. You discover the way as you walk it. We come to know God when we trust in Him and embrace the mysteries He reveals. Additionally, every act of trust is tested. Choosing God through Jesus is not a one-time decision; rather, it is a dynamic reality that must be continually renewed. None of us fully comprehend what it means to offer ourselves to God, the promises of baptism, the vow of marriage, the calling of the priesthood, or other commitments. Our "yes" to Jesus, to a woman, to a man, or to a challenging task must be reaffirmed day after day throughout our lives.
“You have found favor with God.” Yes, we have all found favor with God. Each of us is filled with grace (although in a different sense than Mary). Anyone can also be immaculate at any time if they wish, and it does not matter that we are not immaculately conceived. The fullness of life in God and the immaculate state of the soul are within our reach and are our calling. All we need is openness to God's action—openness like that of Mary. "Let it be done to me according to your word" - let it be done to us according to God's word, not ours. Our words rarely become flesh; God’s always does.
Mary, though "full of grace," did not have complete knowledge. She remained human, a very young and simple girl. At the moment of her "fiat," she did not fully grasp what was happening; She knew she was jumping into the abyss, entering a mystery that far exceeded her understanding. Nonetheless, she accepted it, trusting that "God knows what He is doing." The angel's reassurance that "God's power would overshadow her" did not clarify much for her at first, but she believed that God would gradually illuminate the stages and elements of His promise. She understood that her understanding would come over time, through cooperation with grace—and so it was.
But first, she had to carry all these things in her heart for a long time and trust, trust, trust. Mary realizes that everything happening to her comes from the outside and is a gift from God. It occurs at His initiative and will continue to do so. She can do nothing more than agree to repeat her fiat, regardless of the circumstances.
Fr. Wilfried Stinissen aptly describes the relationship between God's action and human action: “It doesn’t happen that God does 80% and man does his 20%. No, God does 100%, and man does 100%, but each in his own way. God is the author of the work, and man permits it. The human part is consent." It was Mary, through her consent and agreement to God's plan, who had already fulfilled all the work that was 100% on the human side, which is why she has attained such great exaltation. She gave God so little, but in reality, she gave him everything He required from a human being.
Internally, Mary is doing the work of a colossus; she moves mountains. Let us honor Mary by imitating her attitude toward the Word of God and the promise. True Marian piety is, first and foremost, an imitation of Mary's faith—faith that transcends emotions and feelings, exceeding the limits of reason and human logic. It is a faith expressed through loyalty and anticipation, filled with prayerful tension. Jesus, hanging on the cross, gives us the answer: “Take Mary to you. Make her the mother of your faith. She can bear you into her womb and teach you to live the promise. And the Word will become flesh in you."
What if Mary had not believed that the simple girl from Nazareth could be the mother of the Messiah? What if Abraham had not believed that, despite his old age, he would have a son? What if Saint Peter had doubted that he, who denied the Lord, would be a rock for the Church? What if Saint Faustina did not believe that, even after three years of primary school, she could become a secretary of God himself?
As we meditate on Mary's joy, let us ask her for grace to have faith greater than a grain of mustard seed - a faith that measures up to hers - so we may also access promises that cannot be understood or fathomed by human reason. Let us remember that for God, nothing is impossible. It is we who limit His hands with our small-mindedness, and sometimes we mourn over these supposedly "unfulfilled" promises that He still desires to realize, but only in His time and in His own way, always much more beautiful than our narrow vision allows. If we receive little, it is only because we have little trust. The magnitude of miracles and promises in our lives hinges on us and our faith in God, whose generosity knows no limits; it is just that we often hesitate to draw from it.
Until next time
fr. george