Giving yourself to the will of God

Then Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” –Gospel According to Saint Luke

Here it is. One simple sentence that really sums up what today is all about. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and after the usual “Don’t be afraid” greeting, told her that she would bear a son – not just any son, but the son of God! Now not having a husband she faced the possibility of being ostracized and ridiculed, and even stoned, but she didn’t worry about that. She emptied herself of any self-importance and submitted everything about herself to God. “Let it be with me according to your word.”

The Feast of the Annunciation comes just nine months before Christmas. To put it simply, today is the day that Mary becomes pregnant. This isn’t so much a day about the child she is carrying though. Today is celebrated to show Mary’s virtue. She didn’t yield, she gave. Mary gave the most wonderful of gifts – herself. How many of us would actually do the same? How many of us are completely resigned to the will of the Lord?

Tonight (6:30pm) I will be at Grace Cathedral for that service I told you about a few days ago. Come if you can. Those of you who are not able, consider reading the Letter to the Hebrews section and the gospel text that tells this story (Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38) and reflect for a few minutes on totally giving yourself to the will of God.

“Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”