Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord—the day that a simple “yes” changed history forever.

In this Gospel, Mary gives us the perfect example of trust in God and in His plans. Mary was going about a normal day. All of a sudden an angel appeared to her. Mary wasn’t filled with immediate joy. As the Gospel mentioned, “she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” She didn’t know what all this meant.  As the conversation continued, Mary said yes. Mary didn’t know all that this yes would entail. But Mary knew the love of the Father.  Mary knew that His plans are far greater than ones we could ever imagine. So with that trust, with that confidence in His love and His plans, she said yes. She may have been filled with fear, but she said yes.    

One of my favorite songs about Mary is “Be Born in Me” by Francesca Battistelli. One line of that song is “I’m just a girl, nothing more. But I am willing, I am Yours.” Mary was just a girl. She surrendered herself to Him and allowed Him to change her life forever. It constantly calls me to live a life with that much faith and trust. This trust is challenging. It’s hard to say yes to the unknown. It’s hard to trust, especially in times of confusion, that His plan is far better than what we could’ve ever imagined. This is a truth the Lord has been revealing to me throughout the last year.  All it takes is a simple yes to His plan and He will give us a life far greater than we could ever think.

How is the Lord calling us today? What ways does He want us to say yes to Him and yes to His plans?  How can we live our lives as one long “yes” to the Lord, just like Mary?

Madeline Grace Hill is a 2016 graduate from Texas A&M University and currently a Missionary Campus Minister at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas. Her favorite part of her job is preparing missionaries and serving in the mountains of Honduras, bringing out her inner “fixer upper” when decorating for women’s ministry events, and discipling college girls with coffee in hand.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. I believe that Our Mother Mary never wore gold sandals or a brockade dress with gold lining or ever had a halo behind her head. As a human being she was always the common girl/women from Nazareth , even though she was the Mother of Jesus , our Lord. And I don’t think our Lord ever wore anything similar ; he was always known as the son of Joseph the carpenter. That’s why sometimes I feel angry when someone calls for donations for a statue’s gold sandals or a velvet or some other expensive cloth to put on Our Lady’s statue! A very artistic statue at my home town Paola was ruined when most of the statue is gilded! I prefer it as it was!

  2. Yes, Eugene, you are right! Our Lord and Lady probably never wore expensive clothes or sandals, but shouldn’t they have? Don’t they deserve the best that we can give them? It’s understandable being upset about a beautiful statue in your hometown that was ruined. That is very unfortunate. But was it their intention to ruin it? Or did it happen accidentally? Could it be that they were just trying to honor Our Lady with the best thing they could think of? Could it be possible that they are upset about ruining the statue just as you are? Even if these are not true, is it worth your time and energy to remain angry about something that in the end of time when you are standing before Christ they probably won’t matter that much? Jesus said, “…forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us…” Harboring anger and unforgiveness is like drinking a poison. It doesn’t affect the other person, but it can kill us. Please believe me…I know this from personal experience

  3. Why are you promoting an Islamic site on uCatholic? That article’Only One God(no Trinity)’ is anti- Catholic.
    Please remove it.

  4. Lord let us be aware of your voice like Mary our Mother let us not refuse anyone that needs help let us be Prayerful in our lives and listen

    Amen

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