\u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d\u00a0 The history of the world turned on that line.\u00a0 All that God planned to do to save us, the gift that divine love wanted to give us hung on Mary\u2019s response, on her willingness to cooperate.\u00a0 Her choice was a free choice, for Mary could have said \u201cno\u201d.\u00a0 It would have been easy to find many reasons to say \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n
She could have responded to Gabriel by saying, \u201cWow!\u00a0 This is unexpected. Sort of out of the blue.\u00a0 How long before you need my answer?\u00a0 I\u2019d really like to think about this.\u00a0 I know that God has a plan, but I\u2019m rather upset about being brought into it at the very last minute.\u00a0 You might want to suggest that if God expects human cooperation it might be good to give a little lead time, a few months so you could think things over.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure that God would get a much better response using that approach.\u00a0 And really, to tell you the truth, it\u2019s not the best time for me.\u00a0 I\u2019m really busy with the wedding and all coming up.\u00a0 We still have to pick a hall and get flowers; I\u2019ve already bought the dress and it\u2019s not going to fit if I\u2019m pregnant.\u00a0 And the more I think about it, this idea of conceiving by the Holy Spirit without a human father, it\u2019s kind of peculiar, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 I really wish God would rethink that part of the plan.\u00a0 Joseph is a great guy, but I don\u2019t think he\u2019ll sign off on that.\u00a0So why don\u2019t we just leave it this way: first of all, tell God that I\u2019m very honored to be considered.\u00a0 But the plan is nebulous and really not that well thought out.\u00a0 So why don\u2019t you take it back and work on it a bit?\u00a0 Put some more detail in it, iron out some of the wrinkles, and we\u2019ll talk again after the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary could have said \u201cno\u201d, but she didn\u2019t. What she said was, \u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d\u00a0 Without much preparation, with very few details, and with a lot of things that were unsettling at best, Mary said \u201cyes\u201d to God.\u00a0 She said \u201cyes\u201d because she trusted that God had a plan and would not abandon her.\u00a0 Because she said \u201cyes\u201d, we have Jesus; we have eternal life; and we are preparing to celebrate Christmas.<\/p>\n
Mary is our model, our model always, but especially our model in the next few days. I am quite certain that in the next few days, in the midst of holiday preparation, God will be asking us to do some things.\u00a0 God will be asking us for our cooperation.\u00a0Like Mary, God\u2019s request is very likely to come out of the blue, without much preparation.\u00a0 Like Mary, the call might be unexpected, or even unwanted. It certainly will come at a very busy time.\u00a0 But unlike Mary, we should not expect an angel to announce it to us.\u00a0 Therefore, we need to be watching, watching for the opportunities that God provides, waiting for our chance to say either \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n
That chance might come with a sudden twist in our plans\u2014something unexpected that looks like an intrusion\u2014something our children need or our parents expect. When that intrusion comes, we can either complain and feel sorry for ourselves, or we can see it as an invitation from God to be flexible and loving. We can choose to say, \u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d\u00a0It might come because we have a sadness to bear in this holiday season\u2014a sadness\u00a0 because someone we love is not with us, a sadness because there are tensions in our family.\u00a0 When that sadness emerges, we can either hold it in and let it cause anger and depression in our hearts, or we can accept the truth that there is a sadness that we cannot change and reach out to others in love and in hope. We can say, \u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d\u00a0It might happen as we gather together with family and friends.\u00a0 Suddenly we could be faced with an opportunity to affirm somebody we love, to forgive someone who has hurt us, to listen to someone who is in need.\u00a0 When that opportunity presents itself, we can either choose to forge ahead with all of the other things that we have to do, or we can stop and accept the invitation to do God\u2019s will. We can choose to say, \u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary is our model, the model of how God chooses to interact with us. What God does is invite our cooperation and then wait for our response.\u00a0 Do not expect to see the angel Gabriel, but watch for the opportunities.\u00a0 They will be there.\u00a0 When you see them, be like Mary.\u00a0 Say \u201cyes.\u201d\u00a0 Say \u201cyes\u201d to God\u2019s request, \u201cyes\u201d to God\u2019s will.\u00a0 Do your part in bringing Jesus into our world.<\/p>\n
When I find myself in times of trouble,
\nmother Mary comes to me,
\nspeaking words of wisdom:
\n\u201cLet it be.\u201d<\/p>\n
And in my hour of darkness,
\nshe is standing right in front of me,
\nspeaking words of wisdom:
\n\u201cLet it be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those famous words from a Beatles song are open to many interpretations. But at least one interpretation can serve as a key to unlock today\u2019s gospel. On this last Sunday of Advent, Mother Mary comes to us in a scriptural scene which is the greatest moment of her life. As she stands before the Angel Gabriel, Mary changes the course of history by agreeing to become the mother of Jesus.<\/p>\n
This is Mary\u2019s greatest moment\u2014greater than giving birth in Bethlehem, greater than standing at the foot of the cross, greater than being assumed into heaven.\u00a0 For in this moment, Mary utters the greatest prayer ever offered.\u00a0 Her prayer is \u201cLet it be.\u201d \u00a0\u201cLet it be done to me according to your word.\u201d\u00a0 In this moment, Mary reveals herself as the first and greatest disciple and provides a model that all subsequent disciples must follow.\u00a0 Mary\u2019s prayer tells us that the foundation of the Christian life is accepting the will of God. She is our model because to believe we too must surrender to God\u2019s purposes.<\/p>\n
Now following the example of Mary is not easy, because all of us want to be in control.\u00a0 We want to call our own shots in life. We want to determine how to move from A to B.\u00a0 With the best of reasons, we want to bring about good things for ourselves and for those that we love.\u00a0 Therefore, when things happen that we cannot control, when hurts occur that we cannot heal, when troubles come that we cannot escape, our life is thrown into turmoil and confusion.\u00a0 We loose sleep; our stomach churns; we beat our head against the wall.\u00a0 All because we cannot determine what we should do<\/i>.\u00a0 Mary tells us that what we should do is surrender, surrender to God.\u00a0 To follow Jesus we must accept those things in life that we cannot control or change.<\/p>\n
Surrender is truly the foundation of the Christian life. Yet it is important to understand that surrender is not neglect.\u00a0 Surrender is not \u201cletting God do it\u201d and avoiding our own responsibilities.\u00a0 For whenever in life a clear path is shown to something that is good, we are obliged to follow it.\u00a0 Whenever there is an opportunity for reconciliation, healing, growth, or understanding, we know that it is God\u2019s will for us to act. We must take responsibility and do what is right.\u00a0 But we also know how often things are not clear, that there is no viable option to take, that there nothing we are able to do.\u00a0 It is in those moments that we must surrender.<\/p>\n
So surrender is not neglect, nor is it giving up.\u00a0 Surrender is not throwing in the towel in a desperate act of frustration.\u00a0 Surrender is not giving up, it is handing over, handing over to God.\u00a0 As believers, we understand that there are things that we cannot do, but God can.\u00a0 There are things we do not understand, but God does.\u00a0 There are many times where we are not in control, but God is.\u00a0 Believers hand over to God, what is impossible, what is unclear, what is painful, realizing that God will do what we cannot do.\u00a0 In the end, surrender is trust.<\/p>\n
So if there are troubles and divisions in your family, which you cannot heal, surrender them to God who can.\u00a0 If there are people in your life, that you cannot change or protect from harm, entrust them to God who will not abandon them.\u00a0 If you wake up yet another morning, with a pain that you cannot relieve, hand it over to God who will carry that burden with you.<\/p>\n
When you find yourself in times of trouble,
\nmother Mary comes to you,
\nspeaking words of wisdom:
\n\u201cLet it be.\u201d<\/p>\n
And in your hour of darkness,
\nshe is standing right in front of you,
\nspeaking words of wisdom:
\n\u201cLet it be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary points to a truth
\nwhich only faith can see:
\nThere will be an answer,
\nLet it be.<\/p>\n
God never forces us to do anything.\u00a0 Although God is all powerful, God never chooses to take away our freedom.\u00a0 Therefore, when God wants us to do something, God has to ask.\u00a0 This is why today\u2019s gospel is so important.\u00a0 Because God\u2019s plan to send his son into the world depended upon the answer of a woman.\u00a0 In order for the savior to be born, Mary had to say yes.\u00a0 Now I suppose, if Mary had said no, God could have asked someone else. But it would have made things different. Jesus would have grown up with another mother and in another home.\u00a0 It is clear that God wanted Mary, so God sent the angel Gabriel to lay out the plan.\u00a0 Mary listened, asked questions, and finally accepted God\u2019s offer. Mary said yes.<\/p>\n
Now it is at this point that the most important thing of the gospel becomes clear.\u00a0 What is crucial is the way in which Mary said yes.\u00a0 Normally when we think about agreeing to something or saying that we are willing to participate in someone else\u2019s plan we say, \u201cYes, I\u2019ll do it. I\u2019ll participate.\u201d\u00a0 But that is not what Mary said. The text is very clear on this, Mary does not say, \u201cI\u2019ll do what God wants.\u201d She says, \u201cLet it be done to me according to your word.\u201d\u00a0 Mary doesn\u2019t say, \u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d She says, \u201cI\u2019ll let God do it to me.\u201d Now this is a tremendously important description of faith. Faith is not us doing things for God. It is God doing things for us.<\/p>\n
This gospel, then, shows us how to act when God sends an angel to us.\u00a0 Does God send angels to us?\u00a0 All the time. On a regular basis. Now the angel need not have wings or display a heavenly glow.\u00a0 An angel is anytime God asks us to do anything. God can ask us by placing a thought in our minds, by attracting us through someone or something that we love, or by directing the circumstances of our life to lead us in a particular direction.\u00a0 Here are some examples in which God could be asking us to do something:\u00a0 when you think that you are ready to make a commitment to a particular person, when you think it might be good for you to volunteer some time at the hospital, when you realize that you like chemistry and you might get a degree to work in medical research, or when you think that you are going to take off from work a few hours early and spend some time with your children.\u00a0 Any one of those decisions can be God asking you to participate in God\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n
I know that such decisions look like things which we are doing, decisions we are making. But on a deeper level it is actually allowing God to do something to us.\u00a0 When we choose to share our life with another person, it is a choice that we make. But on a deeper level it is opening ourselves to a lifetime of joys and sorrows, many of which we can never anticipate. Choosing someone in marriage is saying to God, \u201cI love this person. You do something to us according to your plan.\u201d\u00a0 When we decide we are going to spend our life in medical research, it is our choice of a career. But on a deeper level it is us allowing God to use our time and talent over the years and perhaps help a great many people.\u00a0 When we choose to give time at the hospital or with our children, we are making a choice. But on a deeper level we will never know the ways in which God can use that time we give to change us and to bless us, to bring us into God\u2019s larger plan.<\/p>\n
This understanding of faith is particularly important when we have to face tragedy or pain in our life, when we face sickness, loss, or grief. In so many of those situations we do not even know what to choose. But whenever there are circumstances that we must face and cannot change, we believe God is somehow asking us to go through those circumstances.\u00a0 Even though we do not understand what is happening, we like Mary say, \u201cI trust you. Lead me through this. Show me the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
God comes to us in many ways.\u00a0 God has a plan for the world and for our lives. God is asking you to participate in that plan.\u00a0 So keep on the watch for angels that God will send. They will not be long in coming.\u00a0 I cannot describe to you how they will come, but I know you will recognize their arrival. When God\u2019s request comes, it will be as clear as it was to Mary.\u00a0 And when the angel comes and says, \u201cThis is what God would like you to do,\u201d I suggest that you say yes. Do not be afraid, because whatever you do, God will do more. Whenever you fail, God will compensate. So say yes. Don\u2019t be afraid. Look right at the angel and say \u201cLet it be done to me according to your word.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a basic rule in the Bible that when an angel appears to you\u2014God wants something. When God decides to involve human beings in the divine plan, God sends an angel to make the request and to close the deal. Therefore, when an angel appears to Mary in today\u2019s gospel, we can be rather sure that Mary knew she was about to get a job.<\/p>\n
But what is puzzling is the peculiar dialogue that takes place between the angel and Mary. The angel begins with a beautiful greeting, \u201cHail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.\u201d \u00a0Short\u2014spiritual\u2014positive. It would be difficult to imagine a more uplifting way to begin the negotiation. But Mary does not seem pleased with this greeting. The very next line of the Gospel tells us Mary was greatly disturbed at what was said to her.\u00a0Now, what is so disturbing about this greeting? Was it that Mary was full of grace or that the Lord was with her? What is Mary hearing in the angel\u2019s words that we are not hearing? It might very well be the very first word that the angel speaks, the word, \u201cHail.\u201d \u00a0\u201cHail\u201d is the English translation of the Greek word, \u201cchaire,<\/i>\u201d a word that is not used that often in the Gospels. In fact, besides this verse, it is used only in five other places.<\/p>\n
But, when we look at those other places it becomes clear why Mary was troubled. Four of those five occurrences take place during Jesus\u2019 passion. When Judas comes up to Jesus in the garden to betray him, he begins with, \u201cHail, Rabbi.\u201d In three separate Gospels when the Roman soldiers mock Jesus in Pilot\u2019s courtyard they shout out, \u201cHail, King of the Jews.\u201d So, perhaps when Mary heard Gabriel\u2019s \u201cHail,\u201d it already carried for her resonances of suffering, crucifixion, and death. No wonder Mary was troubled at the greeting.\u00a0 She realized that God was going to offer her a job that included pain and heartbreak.<\/p>\n
Now Mary, as always, is an example to us. Her conversation with the angel is meant to prepare us for those times when angels are sent to us. For every time we turn a corner in our lives, every time we face a new challenge or opportunity, God is asking us to take on a new job, God is asking us to assume a role in the plan of salvation. And, every time we are asked to assume such a role, it is very likely that suffering is involved.\u00a0When expectations shift at work, when we enter a new school, yes there will be opportunities to serve others and opportunities for personal growth. But there will also be grieving for what we left behind and the experience of being stretched in new and uncomfortable ways. When we watch a member of family or a friend enter into marriage, there is the beauty of their love which reflects God\u2019s goodness. But there is also the misunderstanding and hurt which are unavoidable in trying to love another person for a lifetime. When we assume the responsibility of caring for an aging parent, there are moments of deep intimacy. But there is also impatience and anger and hurt. As we approach retirement there is new freedom and a lifetime of wisdom that has been accumulated. But there is also the debilitating effects of aging and the painful experience of watching the people we love begin to die.<\/p>\n
How then are we to assume these new roles that God asks of us? The Gospel calls us to follow the example of Mary. Mary says, \u201cYes.\u201d But why does Mary say, \u201cYes\u201d? It might be because she is aware of the last occurrence of chaire<\/i> in the Gospels. It takes place on Easter morning as Jesus greets the women who come to the empty tomb. You see, Mary understands that what God is asking of her is more than pain. It is also resurrection. She seems confident that every time that God asks us to take on a new role, even though we are not guaranteed that it will be easy, we are promised that it will lead to life.<\/p>\n
So the next time that an angel shows up at your doorstep, do not be na\u00efve. What God asks of you will often demand courage. But the pain that you experience can be transformed into glory. \u201cHail\u201d the angel says to us.\u00a0 Understand what is in that greeting: joy and pain, death and resurrection. \u201cHail\u201d the angel says.\u00a0 May we respond with Mary, \u201cLet it be done unto me according to your word.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s gospel is the Annunciation: the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will become the mother of God\u2019s son. The story is rich and complex and there are many ways we could approach it. But I would like to focus on one line, the last one: \u201cAnd then the angel departed from her.\u201d Why does this text go out of its way to tell us that the angel left? Did we imagine that the angel was going to stay? Did we suppose that Gabriel was going to move in with Mary and Joseph and become a resident of Nazareth? Of course not. The text tells us that the angel departed, not to correct some misconception in our mind, but to show us how annunciations work.<\/p>\n
Annunciations are joyful beginnings. They initiate a gift that is meant to unfold into the future. Annunciations often involve angels, visible signs of God\u2019s presence. When an angel is present, doubts can be resolved, commitment can be strengthened, and hope can be confirmed. But once the good thing has begun, once the gift has been announced, the angel departs. Then we are left to live out that gift without sure signs of God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n
Mary knew this truth. When the angel Gabriel left her, no further angels were sent. There was no angel to tell Mary what she should say to Joseph as he planned to divorce her over her pregnancy. There was no angel to guide her as she fled from mad King Herod into Egypt. There was no angel to support her as her own family doubted the validity of Jesus\u2019 ministry. There was no angel to console her as she watched the child of her womb die on the cross. As Mary lived out her joyful annunciation, she had to remember the words that were spoken to her. She had to press forward without visible assurances. She had to believe that the good news she heard was real, even after the angel left. Mary\u2019s story demonstrates that her trust was not in vain. She last appears in the Bible in the Book of Acts, gathered with the apostles and joyfully praising God for her Son\u2019s resurrection.<\/p>\n
Mary is an example to us. Her story shows us how we are to deal with joyful beginnings in our lives. When we hold a newly born son, daughter, or grandchild in our arms, there is no doubt that angels are present. The love and the promise of that moment is tangible. But then, as the relationship grows, there can be mistakes, misunderstandings, and even possible estrangements. It is then that we need to believe with Mary that joyful beginnings will not be wasted. When we enter a new school or begin a new job, it is easy to feel that we are full of grace. But then there are challenges, jealousies, exams, and turf wars. It is then that we, like Mary, must trust that joyful promises can still reach their fulfillment. When we meet our partner for life or our closest friend, there is no doubt that God is with us at the beginning. But as the relationship grows, we must struggle with patience, compromise, and forgiveness. Then we need to believe with Mary that what was joyfully begun still has a future.<\/p>\n
Annunciations are beautiful moments\u2014moments of hope, light, and joy. But living out those gifts requires courage, perseverance, and faith. This is why the story of Mary is important. It tells us that God does not begin good things in our lives to deceive us and that the voice of the announcing angel can be trusted. When we believe with Mary, we understand that even when the angel departs, God is still with us.<\/p>\n
Our lives would be incomplete without a role or a profession that helps us define who we are. We see ourselves as a spouse or an architect, a father or a nurse, a church minister or a landscaper. And from the perspective of faith, none of these roles are accidental. We believe that the God who directs our lives has led us to our positions in life. To say it in another way, God calls us to be a mother, a lawyer, or an agent for social change.<\/p>\n
Now the bible knows this action of God very well and presents us scenes in which individuals are called by God to do what God wishes. One of the most famous of these scenes is today\u2019s gospel, where Mary is called to be the mother of Jesus. But this passage is so rich that it not only tells us about Mary\u2019s call, it gives us insights into our call as well. It tells us that in our calling most of us will experience doubt and all of us will discover an invitation to something more.<\/p>\n
When the angel Gabriel calls Mary, Mary does not accept at once. She first has a question, a doubt, \u201cHow can this be, since I have no relations with a man.\u201d The angel reassures Mary, and she accepts. But not without question. This passage tells us that even when we are called by God, even when we know we are called by God, there will still be days on which we doubt, times at which we question: \u201cShould I really have married this person?\u201d \u201cIs this job really worth the effort I am putting into it?\u201d Such questioning might lead to a change, or it might lead to recommitment. But wherever it leads, God wants it to be clear that doubting is a part of the call, not a rejection of it. If Mary could question her call delivered by an angel, so can we.<\/p>\n
The second truth that flows from Mary\u2019s call tells us that our call is an invitation to something more. When Mary was called, the angel told her about her elderly cousin, Elizabeth, who was with child. That information was an invitation for Mary to act. God did not expect Mary to stay comfortably in Nazareth, content that she was called to be the mother of the Savior. God invited Mary to go out, to do something more, to help her cousin. The same is true for us. If we earn our living as a business owner, God can call us to something more. Perhaps God will call us to be one who listens to an employee who is struggling or who has experienced a personal loss. Even as we relish our roles as grandparents, the love we feel for our grandchildren can be an invitation to something more, an invitation to become aware of so many children in our world who do not have families or who are held back because of race or a lack of influence. If we have just worked our way through a painful divorce, God can still be calling us to more, a new relationship or perhaps a ministry working with others whose marriages have come to an end.<\/p>\n
When Mary said yes to the angel, she accepted her call. But she also showed us that doubt can be a part of the yes and once we have accepted our call from God, we are not finished. God is more than likely to ask of us something more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Response to Change History December 22, 2002 Luke 1:26-38 \u201cLet it be done to me according to your Word.\u201d\u00a0 The history of the world turned on that line.\u00a0 All that God planned to do to save us, the gift that divine love wanted to give us hung on Mary\u2019s response, on her willingness to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5879,"featured_media":0,"parent":585,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2857"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2857"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5575,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2857\/revisions\/5575"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}