Our Lady of Medjugorje
Carmelo Puzzolo
April 8, 2013
The Annunciation of the Lord
Dear Family of Mary!
"And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)
Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord! Fast on the heels of Easter week, we pause to remember the beginning of Jesus' incredible journey of love, His conception in the womb of Mary. The Church also remembers the "yes" that made Jesus Incarnation possible. It was Mary's total openness to God's plan in her life that paved the way for our salvation. Her "yes" is our joy!
But I am always struck by the greater context of Mary's "yes". Mary's "yes" was phrased in a particular way. She said, "Let it be to me according to your word." She gave permission to God to do things His way. She gave up control of her life, let go of her plans, and even let go of knowing what God was doing. She gave her entire self over to the Lord. "According to Your Word..." She was aware that her only task was to allow God to act in her. She was not the initiator, the planner, the master mind, the person in control. No, she was going to be acted upon, the receiver, the one who waits and trusts as God acts. This was an act of total trust.
"Let it be to me according to your word." I ask myself, am I able to say that to God? At any given moment in my day, can I turn to the Lord and say, "Let it be to me according to your word."? I think it would be a really good experiment to try to say this to the Lord, maybe every hour, on the hour, for just one day. I wonder what would happen!
Our Lady gave us this message on May 2, 2011:
"Dear children; God the Father is sending me to show you the way of salvation, because He, my children, desires to save you and not to condemn you. That is why I, as a mother, am gathering you around me, because with my motherly love I desire to help you to be free of the dirtiness of the past and to begin to live anew and differently. I am calling you to resurrect in my Son. Along with confession of sins, renounce everything that has distanced you from my Son and that has made your life empty and unsuccessful. Say 'yes' to the Father with the heart and set out on the way of salvation to which He is calling you through the Holy Spirit. Thank you. I am especially praying for the shepherds (priests), for God to help them to be alongside you with a fullness of heart." (May 2, 2011)
Our Lady knows how often we do not say "yes" to God. She knows we are self-concerned, stubborn, distracted by worldly cares, distrustful of God. She wants us to realize how far we have fallen. And she wants to show us the way back. Repentance, renunciation of our past sins and confession can bring us a long way. But finally we have to become like Our Lady in one last thing, we have to "Say 'yes' to the Father with the heart..." We have to receive the Annunciation graces that Mary won for us on that wonderful day when she said, "Let it be to me according to your word." We have to learn to say yes, and let go of control in our own lives. Then we will sail with great speed towards the Father!
Maybe we should practice saying "Let it be to me according to your word." At least today, on this beautiful Solemnity, let's say it as much as we can, letting the words find their way deeply into our hearts. Our Lady will help us to begin to live these words if we ask her. She tells us, "I, as a mother, am gathering you around me, because with my motherly love I desire to help..." Through Medjugorje, in a special way, Mary is with us to help us learn to trust the Father and say, "yes!"
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013
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