God is there. Have Faith and Trust!

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 1:26-38), Mary is told that she will be the mother of Christ. Her womb will hold what the universe could not. An angel appears to Mary saying, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” We know from this passage alone that Mary is very special; she is favored by God. God has a mission for Mary. At first Mary is troubled and probably just a little bit scared of the angel. The first thing the angel said to Mary was, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Before the angel gives Mary the news, he comforts Mary and sets her at ease. Mary is then told her chosen task, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Can you imagine the way Mary must have felt at this time? She wasn’t married and was betrothed to Joseph. However, Mary simply replied, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” She accepted her responsibility without question; she exhibits true faith and love for God. Just as Eve was the mother of all humanity, Mary now becomes the mother of salvation, she is the mother of the new Adam, the one who will save us from our sins. By the grace of God which was given to her at birth, she realizes the magnitude of task which has been bestowed upon her and she simply says yes. Wow!!!

When God gives us graces, he expects us to follow the example of Mary. We should always reply, “Yes, Lord. I am your handmaid; let me do your will.” This passage tells us that God did not leave Mary alone. He was there with her through the whole ordeal. The angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” God does not give us tasks to do and then abandons us. He gives us everything we need to complete the task and is there to hold us up. We just have to accept the task and trust in him. Trust is a difficult thing. I can remember when my kids were little and we would go to the neighborhood pool. At the time they could not swim without my help or the use of floats. In teaching them to swim, I would ask them to jump from the side of the pool and I would catch them. In their mind, they believed that I could catch them, but they had to overcome the fear of drowning in the water before they would jump. They had to have faith that I would be there for them. Faith is more than believing that something can be done; faith is taking action in your beliefs. Faith is the willingness to do the task that has been given to you and knowing that God will be there to catch you. What faith Mary exhibited on this day when she agreed to be the Mother of God.

A Simple Prayer Lord, You call me to be your servant. You call be to have faith and trust in you. I am weak and afraid, May the strength of Holy Spirit give me the strength I need.

Yours in Christ Michael Marcon