Let It Be According to Your Word
“Let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) What would our life be like if we put this phrase, or rather, this decision into practice daily? St. Bernard of Clairvaux said that the “YES” of Mary is the highest decision of human freedom. Since it is a totally free and voluntary decision, we also understand that it is an act of total self-abandonment to carry out, together with God, his will, his perfect plan, and, in this case for Mary, the salvific plan of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Mary is the example, par excellence, of how to carry out the will of God. Mary’s particular reaction to the angel’s announcement that she would bear the Son of God, was analyzed by Pope Benedict XVI as follows: Mary does not doubt. She does not ask questions about “what,” but rather “how” the promise could be fulfilled, since for her the form was incomprehensible.1 The curious thing is, that the angel’s response to this question: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” (Luke 1:35) quite possibly left Mary more confused than she already was. Here, we would like to emphasize the assertion of Pope Benedict XVI: “Mary does not doubt.” That is precisely what every Catholic should bring to prayer and to their daily lives. I don’t know how I’m going to get that new job; I don’t know how I’m going to achieve my personal goals; I don’t know how I’m going to ask my girlfriend for her hand. The “how” does not matter, because that is where God begins to act in our lives if we are truly willing to let him be God.
Giving God control of our lives is, as St. Bernard of Clairvaux would say, “the highest decision of our own freedom for the good of our soul.” Our fiat, although very different from Mary’s, is a daily YES. It’s a YES from the moment we open our eyes in the morning to a YES when we fall asleep at night. It is a YES to living a life in grace, rich in sacraments and permanent formation. It is a YES to a life of prayer and daily offering of all our works to God, our Father. Finally, it is a YES to be done to us according to his word just as he did with Mary, our Mother. This should be the joy of every Catholic on this earth: doing the will of God. As St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer would say: “Abandonment to God’s will is the secret to being happy on earth. Say then: “meus cibus est, ut faciam voluntatem ejus” – My food is to do his will.” 2
We must turn our renewed YES into an example for our children, parents, and friends. The Holy Spirit will take care of turning our abandonment to God into an exemplary apostolate to save many souls who cry out for God’s love. We ask Mary, mother of divine grace and blessed among all women, to give us all her graces, so that we firmly renew our YES to God and trust in the “how” of all his designs for the salvation of our souls.
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1 Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedicto XVI, Jeuss of Nazareth: The Figure and the Message (New York: Doubleday, 2007)
2 Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, The Way (Chicago: Gracewing Publishing, 2019), Ch 36, section 766.
Juan and Sofia were born into Catholic families in Colombia, South America. They met on Juan’s Patron Saint Feast Day, Saint John Bosco, January 31st and recently got married on the 31st of July. Both have encountered Jesus in their lives and decided to follow him with great commitment.
Juan is a Political Scientist and also a great golfer. He works in the Wine and Spirits Industry.
Sofia is a commercial real estate lawyer and works at her family-owned business. They currently live in Cali, Colombia.
Juan and Sofia are increasingly passionate about the apostolic mission with the youth and young professionals. They are committed to showing the love of God and his mysteries through the beauty of the sacrament of marriage and friendship. Both have lived their conversion through different spiritualities within the Church, such as the charismatic renewal, parish groups (Emaus and Effeta), Mana (a self-founded apostolic group) and Opus Dei. This last one is currently where both congregate and receive all their spiritual formation and guidance. Although they have much to learn, they are eager to share their testimony with all the readers.