Happy Feast of The Annunciation!
"In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her." (Luke 1:26-38)
Happy feast of the Annunciation! Today is the day that the Church celebrates the day that Jesus was conceived in His mother's womb. This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It gives us one of the best examples of saying "yes" to God's plan for our lives.
Notice that the Angel Gabriel does not ask Mary if she will accept God's plan for her life, he tells her. Can you imagine being a 14-year-old girl and suddenly finding out that you, a lowly peasant girl, are going to be the Mother of the savior of the world that your people had been waiting for, for thousands of years? I know I would definitely be scared, and maybe even not believe what the angel was telling me. Mary's "yes",
when she says "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word", is a great example for us and a great prayer. This girl, out of her great love for God, has just agreed to bear the son of God. She is probably terrified by this (and also by the fact that an angel just appeared to her). Most of us probably would've asked more questions than Mary did. We probably would've been hesitant to say yes. But Mary's "yes" came seemingly easier to her because she had said yes to God her entire life! When we sin, we stray from the path that God has designed specifically for us, but when we return to full communion with God and the Church through the sacrament of reconciliation, that amazing unity is restored. Mary was without sin, so she couldn't stray from the path that God had made for her life.
This solemnity gives us the opportunity to reflect on our lives and seek out the areas where we can say yes to God. God has a perfect plan for our lives. From the moment that we are conceived, and even before that, the Lord has a special purpose in mind for each of us. Our ultimate goal in life should be to love the Lord God with all our hearts, souls, and minds in this life so that we can be happy with Him in the next and lead others to do so as well. The way that we can do this best is different for everyone. Some people spread the love of God through music, others through their words, and some through their service and love of others. It's different for everyone! God has a magnificent plan for each of our lives, and it is only by sticking to this plan that we will achieve true happiness. We will come to know this plan by praying that the Lord will reveal it to us. Following His will requires us to carry our crosses. These crosses can come in many forms, but through all of these struggles, we need to remember that God has a plan for the suffering. Bearing our crosses, just as Christ did for us, will make us stronger and better Christians, and more aware of how much Christ suffered for our sake.
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10)
Good can be found in every situation, even if it is not immediately realized by us. And where there is goodness, there is God.
My prayer for you today, on this great feast day in our Church, is that you will always have the courage to say "yes" to God's plan for your life, just as Mary did. Let Him take over. Let Him have control. Surrender your life to Him. He will take you and mold you into the person you were always meant to be.