What a daunting message to a young girl, to be told by an angel that you will be the mother of God. It is understandable that Mary was troubled by the angel’s words. She was young, unmarried, and probably unsure that she could even take care of herself, let alone a child, and in particular the Son of God. This was an incredible amount to take in.
Yet, Mary asked only one simple, practical question in the course of the conversation, and when it was explained to her that she would conceive through the Spirit of God, she asked no more, and humbly accepted being part of God’s plan, and never looked back. She trusted in the Lord alone and needed nothing more than to know His will. Once this was revealed, this young virgin knew that nothing further was necessary. Her trust in God was complete, and she was content to let Him take over and manifest His plan through her.
As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord, it is perhaps a good time to ask ourselves in this final Sunday of Advent, how accepting we truly are of God’s plan for us. Do we trust in the Lord enough to move forward with what we can sense to be His will, or will we ask more questions, do more investigating as to how His plan for us will fit in with our own, and perhaps delay or derail what has been revealed to us simply because we don’t like the message. Do we trust Him enough to move ahead with what He has in mind for us, or do we love and value our own feelings and opinions more? These are hard questions to ponder, yet they are crucial to our preparedness for the coming of the Savior. The coming that was begun so long ago with the birth of a small child, who came into the world for the express purpose of reconciling mankind with His Father by His life, death, and resurrection. Our Lord was born to this purpose, and in fulfilling it with everything He had, is deserving of the faith, love, and trust of each one of us, including our unhindered acceptance of His will for us. We too need to utter the words “May it be done according to your will”.
The Deacons Bench 