Mysteries Of JoySample

The Annunciation of God's Plan to Mary The first of our mysteries concerns the very essence of God’s salvation in action. He, as always, chooses to work with us, never to force himself and his actions upon us. The announcement given to Mary invites a response, and we are grateful that her response is ‘may it be done to me according to your word.' What a profound response from this young frightened woman/girl. But what a reward she receives, to play her part in the Incarnation, to have all those years with Jesus, learning to relate to God as Father/Daddy. The challenge for us is to respond positively and in trust to the invitations of God. We don’t have to know all of the details. We just have to trust in his love, his mercy, and his choices. This encounter, of course, occurs six months after John the Baptist is conceived, and this reminds us that God is already at work on the plans he has for us. When God asks us to do something, he has already put things in place to enable his plans to come to fruition. These actions also become confirmation for us that God has all things in hand. The wise course is to trust first, to say yes, and then see God confirm our decision, not to ask to see all of the confirmations first before we answer yes. As a small aside, it is interesting to note that this Nazareth, where Jesus will grow up, is one of the towns which exists as a place where the priests lived who traveled to serve in the temple in Jerusalem. It seems suitably fitting as a location for Jesus to grow up in. The role of Mary in our salvation story is a subject loaded with history and disagreements. However, we should at the very least honor her for the profound decision she made which changed the whole world. As a human, her example is profound, choosing to lay aside her own free will and choosing to be a handmaid (slave) of the Lord. Dare we call ourselves that? Do we trust the love and mercy of God enough to lay aside all of our hopes, plans, ideas, dreams, and visions to simply say ‘Be it done to me according to your word'? Pray a simple prayer over and over as you consider this piece of scripture.