Mary had to make a decision—and make it fast. She had an angel of the Lord, Gabriel, standing before her asking if she wanted to be the mother of the Savior. We can only imagine what went through her thoughts. Perhaps she remembered the words of Isaiah in the first reading, “the virgin shall be with child and bear a son.” Or maybe she recalled the words of the Psalm, “to do your will, O my God, is my delight.”(40:8) There’s a strong chance that her knowledge of both the Scripture and psalms led Mary to definitively answer yes. “May it be done to me according to your Word.”
Today, let us be mindful of the decisions we make. Will we, like the Blessed Mother, think of the Scriptures, psalms, or Church teachings? As Mary has shown, we can express our devotion to God simply by making a decision.
—Mary Lou Manion is an intern in the spiritual direction program at Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House, Barrington, IL.